Real Magic
by TJ7207789
Summary: Figgins is sick of the fighting, so he sends Glee and the Cheerios to the Happiest Place on Earth, Walt Disney World, in an attempt to bring the clubs together. No one expected how close some of the kids would get. Main Faberry w/ other pairings too
1. Plan Reflection

**Title: **Real Magic  
**Major Characters/Pairings:** Quinn/Rachel, Santana/Brittany, Kurt/Sam, Mike/Tina, Mercedes, Puck, Artie, Finn, Will & Sue.  
**Past Mentions:** Quinn/Puck, Santana/Puck, Santana/Finn, Rachel/Finn, Quinn/Finn, and Quinn/Sam.  
**Rating:** PG-13**  
Summary: **Figgins is sick of the fighting and sends Glee and the Cheerios to the happiest place on Earth in an attempt to bring the clubs closer together. No one expected _how _close some of the kids would get. Major Faberry with lesser Brittana, Hummevans & Asian fusion.  
**Author's Note:** I tend to get this plot stuck in my head for most fandoms that I follow, but with most it would make no sense for it to occur. But, this time I figured that it's very realistic for groups of teenagers to go to WDW for school trips/competitions, so I figured I'd run with it.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, the Walt Disney Company, or anything that both entail within.**

William Schuester was wary when he arrived at school on a cool November morning to find a note in his mailbox from Principal Figgins.

_William, _

_Come to my office as soon as you can. I must speak to you about important matters regarding the Glee Club._

_Principal Figgins_

Any time he had to report to Figgins' office to deal with Glee usually ended in frustration. Only a couple of months earlier, in a similar situation, he had found out that the Glee Club's budget was getting cut for their generally terrible football team. Now he was stuck trying to find some way to go to an invitational to help prepare his kids for Regionals, and their rematch with Vocal Adrenaline, without going over budget.

Unfortunately that was looking like an impossibility without some serious help, so he could only hope that this meeting wasn't more bad news.

Will was so lost in his musings that when he arrived at the office he did not immediately see the bane of glee club's existence, Sue Sylvester, waiting there for him. "Oh good. Now that William and his head full of greased-up curly fries are here, I can find out why I am losing precious time away from planning my sixth consecutive National Championship celebration."

Figgins sat quietly and rolled his eyes at the familiar ranting that occurred all the time in his office. When she was done it took a brief moment before he came back to the genius that was his plan and got excited. "William, I have good news for you and your Glee club! Using some of the funds that I have reassigned from Sue's Cheerio's budget…"

"Which I still say you have no right to do."

"…I have set up something that I believe will benefit the atmosphere around school." Ignoring the outburst and glares he was still receiving from Sue, Figgins continued, "The rivalry that has developed between your two clubs has gotten to be out of control, and it makes no sense! Almost half of the Glee club kids are in the Cheerios! You should be able to get along with each other. But, since you two cannot seem to come together, I have taken it upon myself to come up with a school community building exercise for your two clubs to take part in together."

Sue's outburst was expected and the two men let her go off. "Are you out of your mind Figgins? Do you really think that I will allow William's mediocrity to rub off on my Cheerios? I will not stand for this."

"Sue, calm down. Sir, what exactly does this community building exercise entail?" Will had his own doubts that he could deal with anything that forced him to work together with Sue after the Beiste disaster earlier in the year.

"In two weeks we have the entire week off for the Thanksgiving holiday. During that break the two of you will be taking your clubs on an all expenses paid trip together to a great Christian family environment: Walt Disney World! And while you are there I have found that there are Invitational competitions for both Cheerleading and Glee club while you are there, and I have taken the liberty of signing up both of your squads."

"Ha! As if there is any chance that I will allow my Cheerios to go to a place as terribly family friendly as Walt Disney World. The only places that I would even consider as decent competition spots are Death Valley and the frozen tundra. My Cheerios will not be going anywhere near Mickey Mouse and his ragtag group of loser friends."

Will sat quietly as Sue ranted and thought over the opportunities that this trip provided for Glee. He had been looking for an invitational to compete at, and this one just fell into his lap. Plus there was too much drama going on between the kids than was healthy, and this trip provided him a place to force them to work through it. Looking through it he saw only one negative in the person ranting next to him, but he could always deal with Sue later.

"I think that it's a great idea. Glee can go down there, bond together as a group, win a competition and get ready for Vocal Adrenaline. I'm in."

Sue looked over at Will disdainfully, "Oh William. You're so deluded that you actually think your club has a chance to win a competition against schools from all over the country. It intrigues me to watch your club's hopes and dreams go up in flames again. Plus I can once again prove the Cheerio's dominance in the Cheerleading world. I now have no choice but to see this disaster through."

Figgins smiled at his good work so far, now he just had to hope that his idea worked as intended. "Wonderful! We will speak again later to make all of the arrangements for this great opportunity."

The three adults paid little attention to the person who was eavesdropping outside the room; the person who was quickly going to be the one to prematurely spill the beans on the trip.

* * *

As Rachel walked away from the principal's office the full weight of the conversation she overheard hit her. They were going on a Glee trip to Walt Disney World. Who cared that the Cheerios would be there? This was their chance to come together for the first time this year and prove themselves against other show choirs.

Ecstatic over the news, Rachel was practically skipping down the hallway looking for someone to share with. Her enthusiasm was so great that it blinded her common sense in regards to what she was doing until it was too late for her to stop. The bright red uniforms of the three girls in front of her usually served as a warning beacon for what she should avoid unless she felt like being insulted. But this time her excitement had driven her into a situation where she had no choice but to say something.

"Um…hi Quinn, Santana, Britanny."

"What do you want man-hands?"

Rachel flinched at the harsh tone of the angry looking Latina. "I was just going to inform you of the wonderful news I heard this morning."

Santana smirked and answered, "You're moving to Israel, joining the army and never coming back?"

It hurt Rachel that after everything that they had all been through together that there was still so much hostility between members of the club. However she was Rachel Berry and wouldn't allow Santana to ruin her morning, especially with the good news she overheard. "No, Santana, it has nothing to do with me leaving Lima. However, I was down near Figgins office when I overheard a meeting between him, Mr. Schuester and Coach Sylvester. Apparently the Glee Club and the Cheerios are going on a joint trip to Walt Disney World!"

Rachel watched the mixed reactions of the three Cheerios in front of her. Quinn was as per usual lately ignoring her existence, Santana was slightly frowning, but Britanny seemed ecstatic as she was jumping up and down.

"Really Rachel?" At the short girls nod the tall blonde turned to Santana and started talking a mile a minute at the Latina, who was now trying to fight off a smile.

Unfortunately she noticed that Rachel was still standing there and went right back to scowling. "Alright RuPaul, since you made Britanny's day I'll forgive you this time, but don't think that you can just walk up and talk to us every day. I don't want people thinking that we like hanging out trannies."

Rachel put on a show face, nodded, and walked off, wondering if there was ever going to be a time when they just accepted her when she tried to do something nice for them. At least Quinn now ignored her, as opposed to when she led the activities. It was far easier to ignore the feelings that she felt for the blonde when it seemed as though she didn't exist, as opposed to being torn down by the one person she hoped would build her up.

* * *

Closing her locker, Quinn Fabray sighed in frustration and watched the young diva walk down the hallway. _'Another perfect opportunity to talk to Rachel down the drain. Thank you Santana.'_

Turning to her best friends she watched as Britanny continued to jump around Santana talking about how excited she was. "…and then we have to go see Donald Duck, because he is my favorite…"

"Alright B I get how happy you are, but we gotta get to class. Besides if we have to spend that much time alone with treasure trail I might end up strangling her."

Already upset with Santana for running Rachel off earlier, Quinn was getting really ticked by all of the insults. "Can you just leave her alone with all the insults? She isn't nearly as bad as she used to be."

"What is wrong with you Q? You're the one who started manhands' treatment in the first place."

Just hearing the true statement hurt Quinn more than she would admit. "Ya well I'm trying to be a better person. You could take a lesson."

"Whatever Q. Let's go B."

Quinn watched the two link pinkies and walk the other way as she leaned back against her locker. Looking around she saw Sam and Finn hanging out like they always did nowadays. If she knew how annoying the boys would have gotten when they were all single she might have kept her beard around longer. Those two plus Puck and Artie had become nearly insufferable going around as the cool bachelors.

With a sigh Quinn pushed herself off of her locker and began to walk to her first class. She just hoped that she was mistaken in her suspicions that Kurt had noticed the obsession she had with watching Rachel during class.

* * *

By the time that Glee came around the entirety of the club had heard the story of the trip that they were supposed to be going on, and were excited to hear the details. It was clear that they were not the only ones excited as Mr. Schuester arrived far earlier than he usually did.

"Hey guys, I've got some good news." Looking around for the first time it was clear to Will that they knew what was going on. "But it seems that you guys might already know what I'm going to say, so I'll just come out and say it: the club is going on an all expenses paid trip to compete and vacation at Walt Disney World!"

Will laughed as he watched the whole club erupt into cheers at the announcement. He waited for the kids to calm down before continuing, "Now some details, first we will be leaving, along with Sue and the Cheerios, on next Friday directly from school. We're going to take buses to the airport and fly down to Orlando that afternoon, and check-in that night. Thankfully we were able to… secure enough rooms for us and the Cheerios at the same hotel. We have two rooms, both two-bedroom suites, one for the boys and one for the girls. The last day of the competition is on the next Saturday, so we will be there for a total of 8 nights and days and come back on Sunday. Whenever we aren't competing you all will be free to do whatever you want to do. So, what do you guys think?"

If Will thought that the kids were excited before, it was nothing compared to what he saw from them now. As he should have expected Rachel was the first one to raise her hand. "Yes, Rachel?"

"Mr. Schuester, as a large part of what we are doing on this trip is competing, I was wondering if we are going to base our performances around the extensive collection of music produced by the Walt Disney Company?"

Seeing the intrigued look on the other student's faces made Will contemplate the question. "If you guys think that we should do Disney songs, then I don't see why not."

It was also clear to Will that this was an extremely popular idea as the kids began debating which songs would be the best to perform. It was clear by the enthusiasm within the group that this trip could really bring them together and prepare them for their future competitions.

When Glee ended a very excited Rachel Berry headed to her locker to get the books she needed for her homework before she left. As she was organizing what she needed she didn't notice the fact that one of the football players was sneaking up behind her, slushy in hand, until it was too late.

It took no time at all for Rachel to realize what occurred, and to do her best to flee before too many people saw her covered in red ice. Unfortunately the last three people she wanted to see chose this moment to turn the corner into her hallway.

It took milliseconds before Santana shouted, "Hey treasure trail, that red goes real well with all of that yellow argyle."

Unable to tell if she could keep herself together, Rachel grabbed her things and decided to take care of the mess at home. However, in her rush to escape from more torment she missed the sad look on the face of a certain blonde, and the anger of said blonde towards Santana when she fled.

When she arrived home Rachel was greatly relieved that her fathers were both still at work so they wouldn't see her like she was, or hear her breakdown like she was sure she would.

Sitting in the bathroom cleaning herself off, Rachel figured she should be used to this kind of treatment by now. But, before she could rely on Finn or even Jesse to help her through. Being alone again was painful, despite the good that Glee usually did her and especially since her new/old crush had no chance of ever being returned.

Looking in the mirror Rachel realized that her life at WMHS would probably always be this hard, but wished that things could end up differently for once. Inspired by their soon to occur trip and Glee assignment, Rachel began to sing a song that she felt described her life at high school perfectly.

**_Look at me,_**

**_You may think you see who I really am,_**

**_But you'll never know me,_**

**_Every day, It's as if I play a part,_**

Rachel knew she was different than everyone thought of her in Glee.

**_Now I see, If I wear a mask,_**

**_I can fool the world,_**

**_But I cannot fool my heart_**

She knew that she could fool all of them, but she would always know the truth.

**_Who is that girl I see,_**

**_Staring straight back at me?_**

**_When will my reflection show,_**

**_Who I am inside?_**

Rachel truly hoped there would be a time when she could show who she really was.

**_I am now_**

**_In a world where I have to hide my heart_**

**_And what I believe in, _**

She knew that the community she lived in would never accept her thoughts.

**_But somehow_**

**_I will show the world, What's inside my heart,_**

**_And be loved for who I am_**

But she still held out hope for one day when things might actually be good for her in Lima.

**_Who is that girl I see_**

**_Staring straight back at me?_**

**_Why is my reflection someone I don't know?_**

**_Must I pretend that I'm,_**

**_Someone else for all time?_**

**_When will my reflection show,_**

**_Who I am inside?_**

She knew that her feelings for Quinn were more than likely never going to be returned. So Rachel resigned herself to continuing to hide her real feelings from Glee, from Quinn, but most especially from herself. Because just dwelling on how she felt for the blonde, and how it would never be what she wanted, caused more pain than anyone else could inflict upon her.


	2. I Won't Say ItGirl Worth Fighting For

**Title: **Real Magic

**A/N: **Okay so I am not sure how regularly I'm gonna be updating from now until mid-December when school goes on break. Too much work to know when I'll have time to write, so don't worry if the timing of posts is odd. And please review, thx.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, the Walt Disney Company, or anything that both entail within.**

The next two weeks passed both slowly and painfully for the members of the Glee club. The excitement that they were all feeling made the days seem to crawl on like they would never end. These feelings were not aided by the fact that they had spent all of their time in Glee either working on Disney songs or talking about what they wished to do most on the trip.

Quinn was just as excited as the others to be going on this trip. Walt Disney World was one of the places that her "perfect" family would go on vacations to as a child. Even though her memories of her family may have been ruined forever by the events of the last year, she still remembered how much fun that she had on those trips and wanted to add good memories there wit her friends.

She was also glad to be getting out of town at what seemed to be the perfect time. It had taken sixth months, but her mother had finally caved and agreed to try to start over with her father. They had tried to set it up as a perfect time to act as a family again, coming together on Thanksgiving and "giving thanks" for what they had. The fact that her mother thought she would be okay with it made Quinn sick to her stomach. Her only hope was that the dinner was a disaster, or she would need to find somewhere to stay soon. She swore to herself she would never put up with her father again.

But just two days before they were supposed to leave Quinn had a much bigger things to worry about. Namely that she was almost 100% positive that the fact that she obsessively stared at Rachel in history class was far from a secret. She suspected that Kurt had seen her staring for a couple of weeks, but this morning there was a look of recognition on his face that scared Quinn.

Hearing the bell, Quinn hurried from her class to try and find the fashionista and do damage control. Heading towards his locker Quinn saw Kurt standing there having what seemed to be an intense conversation with Mercedes. Thankfully it was just the two of them and she could deal with this better than if there were more people around.

Quinn hurried up to the two divas and went to enact her plan. "Hello, Kurt, Mercedes. I was just going to leave and get some lunch, do you wanna come with? I think that we have some _Glee_ issues to discuss?"

Quinn knew that her direct approach would get the two's interest, but should have know that they wouldn't allow her to get by without some discomfort. It was Kurt who started, "Sure, Quinn. Where did you wanna go? Mercedes and I were thinking about going to Smoothie King. I have been craving a straw_berry_ smoothie for days."

Mercedes was just as quick to jump in, "Ooh, ya, the straw_berry_ there is pretty good, but I think I want a blue_berry_ smoothie."

"What about you Quinn? You look like you want a Rach—"

"Enough! Let's go." Quinn grabbed the two and dragged them after her while they broke down into laughter. Reaching her car Quinn let the two in and peeled out as soon as the doors were closed.

It took Quinn a moment to compose herself, but she knew she had to do damage control badly. "Okay, Kurt there has clearly been some sort of misunderstanding of what you think you saw this morning."

"Quinn, sweetheart, it's not very hard to understand when someone is undressing someone else with their eyes. And it was beyond obvious that you were thinking of the best way to rid Rachel of her mini-skirt."

Quinn did her best not to show any emotion as Kurt guessed exactly what she was doing during class. "That was _not _what I was doing! I was thinking of the best way to embarrass her. I don't want people thinking that I'm going soft. I'm still the HBIC."

Kurt and Mercedes shared a look before he replied, "This must be one hell of a plan then, since you've been doing this for weeks. I can't believe my gaydar missed this for so long."

Quinn was beginning to worry that there was nothing she could say to get them to listen to her. "Listen closely. There. Is. Nothing. Going. On. Between. Me. And. Rachel!"

This time it was Mercedes trying to get her to open up. "Come on, Quinn. We're two of your best friends. If you like Rachel we aren't gonna make fun of you."

"Much"

"Kurt! Quinn I'm sure you'll feel better if you just tell someone."

At this point desperation was setting in and Quinn reached out to the one medium that the two others in her car might understand, song.

**If there's a prize for rotten judgment,**

**I guess I've already won that,**

**She's not worth the aggravation,**

**There's too much history, been there, done that!**

That, Quinn thought, ought to get the message through. Unfortunately Kurt and Mercedes weren't about to give up.

_Who'd'ya think you're kiddin'_

_She's the Earth and heaven to you,_

_Try to keep it hidden,_

_Honey, we can see right through you,_

_Girl, ya can't conceal it,_

_We know how ya feel and,_

_Who you're thinking of_

**No chance, no way,**

**I won't say it, no, no**

_You swoon, you sigh,_

_why deny it, uh-oh_

**It's too cliché****,**

**I won't say I'm in love**

Extreme desperation was setting in so Quinn moved onto a different way of reasoning why she wasn't into Rachel.

**I thought my heart had learned its lesson,**

**It feels so good when you start out,**

**My head is screaming get a grip, girl,**

**Unless you're dying to cry your heart out**

Between Finn, Puck and Sam, she had had enough heartbreak for a lifetime and the other two knew that.

_You keep on denying,_

_Who you are and how you're feeling,_

_Baby, we're not buying,_

_Hon, we saw ya hit the ceiling,_

_Face it like a grown-up,_

_When ya gonna own up,_

_That ya got, got, got it bad_

**No chance, now way,**

**I won't say it, no, no**

_Give up, give in,_

_Check the grin you're in love_

**This scene won't play,**

**I won't say I'm in love**

_You're doin flips read our lips,_

_You're in love_

Oh god, Quinn thought, I've gotta stop these two.

**You're way off base,**

**I won't say it**

**Get off my case,**

**I won't say it**

_Girl, don't be proud,_

_It's O.K. you're in love_

**Oh, At least out loud,**

**I won't say I'm in love**

"Fine! I give up! I love Rachel Berry! I love every stupid little thing that ought to be annoying, but comes off as endearing! I love her despite everything I was ever raised to believe! And I love her despite the fact that I can never have her! Not after what I've done to her. Nobody can know…please…especially not Rachel…"

Quinn then broke down in a way that she hadn't since she found out that she was pregnant. It took nearly all of lunch for Kurt and Mercedes to calm her down enough to talk about it rationally.

"So, Rachel huh? I suppose it makes sense after everything that you two have been through that there was some reason for it. What are you gonna do now?"

Quinn stared at Kurt incredulously, "What do mean, what am I gonna do now? I told you she can never know. I've been far too terrible to her for her to ever care for me back."

"Don't think like that." Mercedes put her arm around Quinn, "Rachel forgives everyone. She even forgave Kurt for that terrible makeover. Whose to say it won't work out."

"Because I am the one who was always the worst to her and I deserve to suffer because of it. I appreciate you guys trying to help, but I have accepted that she will never care for me as I do for her, and I've learned to accept what I have from a distance."

With that Quinn got out of the car and hurried back into school, leaving Kurt and Mercedes to walk back in together. As they were walking Kurt thought of the opportunity that they had and couldn't contain himself. "You know Mercedes, eight days can be a very long time for people to spend together all the time. It's not like school where you can run from your problems when the day ends, you have to see that person all day long and work the problem out."

It was easy for Mercedes to pick up on Kurt's suggestion, she just didn't know if it was the best idea. "Are you sure we should get involved? Quinn was pretty serious and I don't want her to get hurt."

"Mercedes, you worry too much. We won't push it too hard, but if we get any hint out of Rachel that she's interested it would be our duty as friends to help out. Besides I want to play matchmaker and I won't let you take that away from me."

Mercedes was still slightly skeptical, but was definitely intrigued in secret matchmaking. "Alright let's do it!"

* * *

While Kurt was plotting how to get Quinn and Rachel together with Mercedes, the rest of the Glee boys, with the exception Mike, were hanging out in the choir room and lamenting the end of football season.

"You know, the winter season really blows now. Basketball isn't nearly as fun without Coach Tanaka, and we have to deal with Karofsky acting like he rules the school since it's hockey season."

Puck shook his head at Finn's complaining and answered, "Whatever dude, Karofsky's got nothing."

"You know if we play well then the basketball team will become more popular, so it's probably a good thing that your coach from last year was fired."

It took a second before Finn answered Sam's theory, "Ya man, you're probably right."

After a few more minutes of sitting around and playing their guitars and drums Artie finally spoke up. "Is it just me, or are our lives far more boring now that none of us are talking to the girls?"

The other three nodded their agreement. "Ya dude, the Puckasaurus is totally shook that none of the girls in Glee want this anymore. I need to get back on my game."

"Well if you weren't such a dick to Santana and Britanny you might still have had a girl."

Puck knew that Sam was right but wasn't going to admit it. "Okay, you and Finn are single because you couldn't keep it in your pants and wait for your girlfriends to want it."

Artie cut in before any trouble started, "Yes, all four of us screwed up and we need to acknowledge our mistakes in future relationships."

Finn nodded, "Ya Artie's right, we just need to learn to be better boyfriends in the future. We need to commit to our girl full time. In fact I've got a song that says it all and we can use for glee, so just follow along."

_For a long time we've been practicing for football,_

_In the Beiste's herd we feel a lot like cattle,_

_Like the pounding beat,_

_Our aching feet aren't easy to ignore,_

Sam was extremely confused where Finn was going with this.

_So, think of instead, a girl worth fighting for!_

**What?**

Now Sam was completely lost with the transition from football to girls.

_That's what I said, a girl worth playing for!_

_I want her paler than the moon, With eyes that shine like stars_

While Finn started imagining his dream girl Puck jumped in.

My girl will marvel at my strength, Adore my battle scars

Artie followed Puck, as all three continued to play to a completely confused Sam.

_I couldn't care less what she'll wear, Or what she looks like,_

_It all depends on what she cooks like:_

_Beef, Pork, Chicken, Mmmm_

Finn came around and started playing next to Sam.

_'Bet the local girls thought you are quite the charmer_

Puck cut in before Sam could answer Finn's question.

And I'll bet the ladies love a man in body armor

_**You can guess what we have missed the most,**_

_**Since we all lost our girl**_

_**What do we want? A girl worth fighting for!**_

Artie jumped in again, imagining Tina coming back to him.

_My girl will think I have no faults, And I'm a major find_

When the other three turned to him Sam had no idea what to say, so he said the first thing that came to mind.

**Uh, How about a girl who's got a brain,**

**Who always speaks her mind?**

_**Nah!**_

_My manly ways and turn of phrase, Are sure to thrill her!_

Puck laughed at Finn's latest statement.

He thinks he's such a lady killer, ha!

_**But when we come home in victory, They'll line up at the door**_

_**What do we want? A girl worth fighting for!**_

_**Wish that I had... a girl worth fighting for!**_

_**A girl worth fighting... for!**_

Finishing up their impromptu jam session Puck looked at the other three and scoffed, "Dudes, you're all like, singing about love and shit, I just want a chick who digs on Puckzilla. We could definitely do a better Disney song for Glee. In fact I've already got one, let's go Artie."

Puck grabbed his new friend and rolled him out of the room, saying things that Finn and Sam couldn't hear.

While the two friends were cleaning up a thought struck Finn. "Dude, during the song you were singing about a girl with a brain who spoke her mind, do you want to go out with Rachel?"

'What, dude, no. I just don't want to go out with someone for the same reasons as Puck or Artie, and would rather not date someone who I can't talk to."

Finn seemed relieved, "Alright, well I'll see you later in Glee."

As Sam watched Finn walk away he could see why Finn would think that he was talking about Rachel. The person that he was interested in was very similar in the way they spoke their mind. But he wasn't sure what he was going to do about his friend, who had shown homophobic tendencies before, when he found out that the person he was crushing on was Kurt.

* * *

Sitting in his office Will Schuester was getting any final minute details done before he went away with the Glee club. He was so absorbed in grading Spanish tests that he failed to notice Sue Sylvester heading straight towards his office until she knocked open the door. "Hello William. Preparing to see your kids embarrassed in front of people from all over our glorious country?"

Will sighed in frustration and prepared to deal with whatever had brought Sue down upon him. "No, Sue, I was trying to get my kids' papers done. Is there something that I can do for you Sue?"

"Well William, do you happen to remember how you goaded me into accepting to go on this trip?" Sue waited for Will to nod before continuing, "And then do you remember how you, I'll admit, outsmarted me regarding the booking of rooms."

Will smirked as he remembered what happened the week before.

_Flashback:_

_Will was sitting in his office the week before when Sue stormed into his office in a similar manner. "Hello William, I just wished for you to know that I have taken care of our accommodations for when my Cheerios are winning again and your club is coming in last again. Unfortunately the amazing deal that I worked out with one of my contacts for my girls couldn't be extended to your kids. So while we are relaxing in the Beach Club Villas, your band of mouth breathers will just have to rough it out in the woods at the Fort Wilderness Campground."_

_Will thanked his stars he had planned for Sue's shenanigans. "Well Sue it's going to be an unfortunate situation when your top three Cheerios aren't able to make it to your competitions."_

"_What?"_

"_I talked to Figgins this morning and made sure that I was put in charge of Quinn, Santana and Britanny. They will be staying with the Glee kids and if I don't give permission they won't be allowed to go off with you."_

"_You won't get away with this!"_

"_Well Sue there wouldn't be anything to get away with if you had booked everyone at the same place."_

_Will watched with amusement as he could tell the anger was building within Sue. "Fine, William. I'll see what I can do." Will smiled to himself as he watched Sue storm out, but was concerned by the screaming as Sue made her way down the hall._

"Ya Sue I remember both things."

"Well William, I just received the final numbers from Figgins on how much this Cheerio and Glee "friendship" trip is taking from my budget. Do you have any idea how much I am losing from what my Cheerios need?"

"Sue, your budget is absurdly out of control. You got lucky that Bryan Ryan didn't cut your budget _last_ year when he said he was going to. This trip will be good for all the kids Sue, so try and help make it enjoyable for them."

"I don't do enjoyable William. This trip is your fault, and I'm gonna make you pay. The real Sue Sylvester is back, and I will stop at nothing to see the Glee club destroyed for good this year!"

Will sighed as Sue left and wondered what kind of nonsense Sue would try to pull now, and he hoped it wouldn't ruin the trip.

* * *

"Okay, I've been doing research and in each of the suites there is a king bed in the master bedroom, a queen and a pullout couch in the second bedroom, and a second pullout couch in the living room/kitchen."

"And… what Kurt? This was your idea."

Kurt smirked and continued explaining his plan, "So, you know that Santana and Britanny will want to share a bed. That leaves three beds for four people. We need to come up with some way to explain why you and Tina can't share with Quinn or Rachel."

"Okay, I can do that, but what are we going to say to Tina? 'Oh, hey Tina for reasons that I can't share with you we have to get Rachel and Quinn stuck in the same bed.' I have doubts she'll leave it at that."

"True. I suppose we'll just have to bring her in on it."

Mercedes sat shocked for a minute before answering, "What? And what, Mike too?"

"If we have too."

"This is gonna get ugly."

"Calm down Mercedes, everything will be fine. Together we're unstoppable. Quinn and Rachel will be together by the end of this trip, or I'll give up my new wardrobe."

"Alright, fine. We'll talk to Tina at some point and…hold up Rachel on the move."

It took just seconds for Rachel to arrive where they were sitting. "Hello fellow Glee clubbers. I wish to inquire if either you happen to be aware of the possible cause of our fellow club member Quinn Fabray's state of distress. I passed her in the hallway earlier and it seemed clear that she had been crying and was upset for some reason."

Kurt and Mercedes shared a quick look before shaking their heads, "Nope, sorry couldn't tell you what the problem is. Sorry."

Rachel seemed disappointed, but smiled and nodded. "Okay, I'll see you later." As Rachel was walking away she thought about how she was sure that she had seen the three together at lunch, but maybe she was mistaken. On her way to Glee she decided to stop in the bathroom, but upon entering saw the object of her affections crying at the sink.

When Quinn turned to see who had come in, Rachel thought she saw a flicker of fear cross her face. She watched as Quinn hurried to dry and clean her face, but Rachel had already seen how upset she was. "Hello, Quinn. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Berry. Don't worry about it."

Rachel knew she probably shouldn't push Quinn in the state that she was in, but she let her feelings get the best of her. "Are you sure? Because to me, as an impartial observer in the situation, it seems as though you are going through a great deal of stress. I could help you if yo—"

"I'm fine! I'm fine…I don't need any help. Just forget about it, Rachel. I'll see you in Glee."

Rachel was too stunned to stop Quinn as she walked past and back out into the hallway. She didn't know what to make of it, but it was the first time that she could remember Quinn calling her Rachel since they first met. _'It probably didn't mean anything. She probably didn't even notice what she said. It's not like anything is ever going to change between us.'

* * *

_

**A/N:** Don't forget to hit the little button below and review. Feel free to leave thoughts about any songs that you think characters should sing, because, while I have some songs planned out, I'm open to suggestions.


	3. On My Way

**Title: **Real Magic

**A/N: **Okay, onto the meat of the story, but still a long way to go (hopefully). Reviews are always appreciated.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, the Walt Disney Company, or anything that both entail within.**

It was a good thing for the members of New Directions that none of them had tests on Friday, as every one of them was too excited to concentrate in class. By after lunch none of the Glee clubbers or the Cheerios were even pretending to pay attention to what their teachers were saying.

The only two members who were thinking beyond what they wanted to do, although they were certainly planning that too, were the constantly plotting Kurt and Mercedes. It was the last period of the day and Mercedes was sitting in the library waiting for the day to end when Kurt rushed up to her table. "We may have a problem."

It took Mercedes a few seconds to get over the sudden interruption. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in class right now. And what do you mean we have a problem?"

Kurt quickly sat down opposite his best friend and answered, "I saw Rachel earlier today. She was talking to Tina in the hallway and apparently she has been doing research about the trip, shocker I know, and realized the rooming situation. I couldn't hear what was said next but she might have made a deal with Tina."

"So what do you want to do now?"

Kurt seemed a little miffed by the lack of assistance, but answered anyway, "I told you we needed to talk to Tina on Wednesday, but there's still time to fix this. We just need to find Tina, find out what Rachel said, and then go from there."

"Okay, I saw her earlier, she was going to go wait by the buses until school ended."

The two divas hurried along as they realized that time was running short on the time they had to put their plans for the afternoon into action. They found Tina out in the parking lot hanging around while Mike was having a catch with Finn and Puck.

Kurt hurried to greet the Goth girl, "Hey Tina."

"Hey guys." Seeing the harried looks on the two in front of her she asked, "What's up? You guys look like you're in trouble."

Kurt grimaced, "You could say that. Can we borrow you from your man for a minute? We need to talk to you quickly."

"Okay, sure. Mike! I'll be back in a minute!" As soon as the dancer nodded, Kurt and Mercedes practically dragged Tina along after them. As soon as they were out of hearing range they turned on the Asian, who was beginning to get apprehensive about what they were doing. "Uh, what exactly did you guys want?"

Kurt took charge of the interrogation, "I saw you talking to Rachel earlier about the trip and sleeping arrangements we need to know what you two were talking about."

Tina was extremely confused why they were asking, but answered anyway, "Well, she was worried about who was going to end up sleeping where, because, you know, although she's better there are still times when everyone wants to strangle her. So we were talking about it and I told her that I figured that Santana and Britanny would sleep together because, well obviously, and that you and Quinn would, since you used to live together."

The two divas shared a look and sigh of relief. "Okay, good. We're still good to go."

Tina had had enough of the secrecy, "Okay, what is going on? You two are clearly up to something and it has to do with Rachel. I know she isn't the easiest person to deal with but should you really be planning to do something to her right before we compete in something this big?"

Tina's rant seemed to bring the other two back down to earth and helped them realize how it seemed they were behaving. Kurt scoffed at Tina's assumption, "Please, if we wanted to terrorize Rachel we wouldn't need to plan something special."

"Then what is going on?"

Mercedes shared a look with Kurt before focusing on Tina, "If we bring you in on this then you gotta keep it on the down low."

"Fine, whatever, you've made me too curious to stop now."

"Okay, Mercedes and I have taken it upon ourselves to help in the matchmaking of one Quinn Fabray and one Rachel Berry."

It took a moment for Tina to properly understand the full meaning of what the two smirking divas had just said to her. When it hit her she laughed with incredulity. "You two want to set up Quinn and Rachel? As in HBIC Quinn whose goal in life is to torture Rachel? Ha!"

Kurt and Mercedes didn't find their idea nearly as funny as Tina did. "Alright, just laugh it up, but we happen to know that it is a possibility."

Tina calmed down enough to actually listen to what they were trying to sell. "And how would you two know that?"

"Because Quinn told us that she likes Rachel."

This info shocked Tina. She figured that if they had any evidence that one of them liked the other it would be Rachel crushing on Quinn. But even if what they were saying was true it left a gaping whole in their plan. "Okay, so say Quinn does like Rachel, which I guess makes sense in a pull on her pigtails type way. How do you plan to have Rachel return said feelings? Not only has Quinn tormented her for years, but in case you haven't noticed Rachel seems to really like boys, as in three in the last year."

"Please, if Rachel was so into boys why, while dating three of the cutest boys who were in the same club as her, has she not gotten past second base with any of them? Clearly something's off, and why couldn't it be that she likes girls more than boys? It's not like she grew up in an intolerant household."

Tina was slowly cracking at their arguments, but wasn't convinced yet. "So say you're right about Rachel, what are you planning to do?"

Kurt and Mercedes shared a look of victory, "Not much, just force them together at every possible opportunity, set them up in romantic situations, convince them both to go for the other, nothing too extreme."

"Fine, I'm in. What do I need to do?"

"Perfect! Alright so for today the only thing that you need to do is work with Mercedes tonight to come up with reasons why Rachel and Quinn have to be the ones to share the second full size bed. We'll take care of the rest of today, and we'll plan more out tomorrow."

The loud ringing of the school bell jolted the three out of their conversation and sent Kurt and Mercedes into a frenzy. "We gotta go! Stage one of the plan needs to be set up now. Mercedes go find Quinn, I'll stall Rachel long enough for the bus to fill up."

"Alright I'll slow Quinn down, Tina we'll see you in the bus and plan more later."

As the three split up Kurt headed straight for Rachel's locker. He was thankful that it was easy enough to distract Rachel with her favorite thing: singing. Coming around the corner he saw her at her locker packing her backpack with her suitcase at her feet. He hurried over to her side, "Hi, Rachel. I need your help."

Closing her locker Rachel smiled at Kurt and answered, "Of course Kurt, what is it that you required assistance with?"

"I think that Mr. Schuester forgot some of the sheet music for the competition in the choir room." Kurt almost smirked at the ease of this plan when a horrified look crossed Rachel's face. "Could you help me look for it? It will be quicker, so we can get to the bus sooner."

Rachel put on her backpack and grabbed her suitcase, "Lead the way Kurt." As they walked Rachel let her feelings be known, "I cannot believe that Mr. Schuester would be this irresponsible. I know how much he cares for this club, but sometimes it seems as though he is one of the boys with his cavalier attitude."

Reaching the choir room Kurt wondered how long he could pull this off. He made his way into the room and began to open drawers and shuffle papers around as he watched Rachel practically tear drawers apart. "Kurt, do you know where the sheets were?"

"Um, no. Finn was in here earlier and said that he saw some in here so I wanted to double check." Kurt continued to pretend to look around but he was getting worried about the fact they were running out of places to look. Thankfully his phone rang, so he quickly answered, "Hello?"

Mercedes voice came across the line, "Hey everything is set up, so you can come to the bus now."

"Okay, thanks." He hung up and turned to Rachel, "Seems like Mr. Schuester came back and got it later, so it's not here."

Rachel looked mildly annoyed but grabbed her bags and hurried out with Kurt. "It is good to know that Mr. Schue is not completely irresponsible, but now we're late." Before Kurt could stop her she grabbed his hand and pulled him after her, "Come on, everyone's probably waiting for us."

* * *

As Kurt was leading Rachel on a wild goose chase, Mercedes was trying to slow Quinn down long enough for their plan to work. She was thankful to find the Cheerio at her locker and not have to track her down. "Hey girl, you ready for this trip or what?"

Quinn looked over at her former roommate and shared a small smile. "Ya, it will be good to get out of town, and it should be fun."

As Quinn closed her locker Mercedes quickly put on her show, "Oh, damn. I forgot something in my locker. Wanna come with me while I just grab it?"

"Sure" As they chatted and made their way down the hall, Mercedes hoped this took enough time for everyone else to beat them to the bus. She also noticed that Quinn had avoided any mention of her breakdown in the car over the past two days. It didn't take long to get to her locker and back down to the bus, but when they arrived Mercedes was relieved to see that the only one not on the bus yet was Mr. Schue.

"Hey girls, if you just want to leave your suitcases here I'll load them on the bus."

"Thanks Mr. Schue." Climbing on the bus Mercedes saw that there were only two open rows, seats enough for four people, which was perfect. Mercedes turned towards Quinn and said, "Sorry, but I promised Kurt that I would sit with him on the bus."

Quinn looked slightly put out, but was gracious, "It's fine. Don't want to get on his bad side by stealing you away." Sitting down Quinn hadn't noticed who was the other person who hadn't boarded the bus and didn't give it a second thought until Kurt was walking past her in the aisle to sit with Mercedes and she heard a voice coming from outside.

"…yes, well I've been doing extensive research on our destination so as to be prepared for whatever circumstances we may face while on our trip."

Quinn watched as she climbed on board with Mr. Schuester and he put a hand on her shoulder, "As good as that is to know Rachel, if you don't sit we can't go anywhere."

Looking slightly embarrassed Rachel replied, "True, I'll just find a seat." Looking back down the bus she came to the same realization that Quinn had just seconds before. The only seat left for Rachel Berry was next to Quinn Fabray. Walking up to the seat Rachel stopped before she sat down. "Um, hi Quinn. Do you mind if I sit here? Everywhere else is full."

Quinn set her face in a mask to hide both the excitement at Rachel being so close to her, and the loathing at having to be tortured by her impossible desire. "Ya, fine, whatever Berry."

Rachel sat down hesitantly, taking care to not bump into Quinn next to her, which was hard sitting in a tiny school bus. As they pulled out and started driving they both separately felt the tension in sitting next to the object of their desire. In order to combat some of her unease Rachel pulled out a significantly worn travel guide and began leafing through it.

Within ten minutes Rachel couldn't stand just sitting around anymore so she leaned out of her seat and called out to the front, "Hey, Mr. Schue? Since this is an odd day and we are being deprived of our practice time, do you think we could do some singing on our way to the airport?"

Mr. Schuester stood up in the front of the bus and turned around, "Sure, Rachel. That sounds like a good idea. Did you have any in particular on your mind?"

"Actually, with the club in the situation that it is in now, I believe that I do have a perfect song."

**Tell everybody I'm on my way**

**New friends and new places to see**

**With blue skies ahead yes, I'm on my way**

**And there's nowhere else that I'd rather be**

Rachel believed that this song could bring them together on the beginning of their journey, both on the trip and against the other teams they would be competing against. It didn't take long for the rest of the club to join in.

Tell everybody I'm on my way

And I'm loving every step I take

With the sun beating down yes, I'm on my way

And I can't keep this smile off my face

'Cause there's nothing like seeing

each other again

No matter what the distance between

And the stories that we tell

will make you smile

Oh it really lifts my heart

Mr. Schuester laughed from the front seat as he watched his kids jump around the bus and sing with each other. It was the genuine joy on their faces that let him believe that this trip would be great for the kids.

So tell 'em all I'm on my way

New friends and new places to see

And to sleep under the stars, Who could ask for more

With the moon keeping watch over me

Not the snow, not the rain

Can change my mind

The sun will come out, wait and see

And the feeling of the wind in your face, Can lift your heart

Oh there's nowhere I would rather be

Mercedes and Kurt watched with triumph as Quinn and Rachel were both dancing and singing with each other in their row. It seemed as though Rachel's impromptu group song was doing a good part of their work for them.

'Cause I'm on my way now- well and truly

I'm on my way now

Tell everybody I'm on my way

And I just can't wait to be there

With blue skies ahead yes, I'm on my way

And nothing but good times to share

So tell everybody I'm on my way

And I just can't wait to be home

With the sun beating down yes, I'm on my wayAnd nothing but good times to show, I'm on my way

However Kurt and Mercedes weren't the only two to notice how close and cozy Rachel and Quinn were dancing with each other. Santana was having fun dancing and singing with Britanny, but kept one eye on the strange development that was occurring further up the bus.

Yes, I'm on my way

"Ya baby, here comes New Directions, on our way to bust up other glee clubs." The rest of the club laughed at Puck's boisterous declaration and shared in the great mood that filled the bus.

However, as great as the mood was, and as close as it briefly brought them together, the end of the song signaled the return of awkward feelings between Quinn and Rachel. It was not the overwhelming cloud that it was before but it lead to the return of Rachel's guidebook and Quinn's focusing on what passed by outside of the window.

Rachel tried to read her book, but could only think to herself of how foolish she just acted. _'What were you thinking Rachel? Dancing with Quinn Fabray? She's probably freaked out right now and wondering how soon she can get rid of you. I just hope this doesn't result in some sort of retaliation.'_

As Rachel was having her own internal meltdown, Quinn was trying to keep herself together with her own. _'Dear god! What am I thinking? I was just way too close to Rachel to pretend that it didn't happen. She's probably scared to death right now, seeing as how afraid she was to just sit next to me. I am such an idiot.'_

The rest of the drive passed in silence between the two until they reached the airport parking lot. When they pulled in Mr. Schuester stood and addressed the kids, "Okay, everybody, we're here pretty early so we're going to have to wait for a little while for our flight. In the meantime we are going to have to go through security so I'm going to give you your boarding passes now. Since you guys seem to have picked who you sat with on the way here we're going to keep seating the same. So here you go Rachel and Quinn, Kurt and Mercedes, Mike and Tina, Santana and Britanny, Puck and Artie, and finally Finn and Sam. Take care of these and don't lose them."

As the club climbed out of the bus and grabbed their bags, only two seatmates made it a point to avoid the other. Kurt and Mercedes watched the two avoid each other and were disappointed that the progress that seemed to occur had vanished. But they were also glad that they didn't even have to put part two of their plan into action as Mr. Schuester had done it for them.

Security provided few problems for anyone except for Puck, who had to wait as they scanned him to make sure his nipple ring was the only metal he was trying to get on the plane. Once through the members of New Directions had to wait quite a while for their flight, and that was made far less enjoyable when Sue and the Cheerios arrived to wait with them. It was somewhat disconcerting for the teens to watch their two chaperones insult each other back and forth like a couple of small children.

Boarding couldn't come fast enough for the kids after several hours of waiting and the fact that it was getting later at night. As they boarded into their assigned seats both Rachel and Quinn hoped that someone would save them from their situation, but no help came.

So they once again found themselves sitting extremely close to each other in their small airplane seats. Rachel continued to read her guidebook obsessively and Quinn was really starting to get annoyed just seeing it. By the time they took off Quinn couldn't take looking at the book anymore. "Berry, why the hell won't you put that book down."

Rachel, at first shocked by the fact Quinn spoke to her, quickly composed herself and answered, "I have never been to Walt Disney World before and I wish to be fully informed when we arrive on what to expect."

Quinn was a little surprised by this admission. She obviously knew not everyone went to Disney World, but she remembered how in love with their musicals Rachel was in pre and elementary school. "You've never been to Disney World? I would have thought your dads would have taken you with how much you used to sing Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin when you were little."

Rachel liked how civil their conversation had been so far. "Yes, I did love Disney musicals as a child, however I also developed a love for Broadway at a very young age and forced my Daddies to take me to New York for vacation."

"I suppose that makes sense," Quinn said with a laugh. "My family used to go all the time when I was little. All-American family and all that. Not great memories looking back now, but I think it will be fun to go back."

Rachel smiled at her teammate, "Yes, my reading had led me to believe that this will be a most enjoyable experience." The two shared a smile before they realized what, exactly, they were doing and went back to their own business.

After a while Quinn was so comfortable with the seating arrangements that she failed to even notice that it was Rachel she was sitting next to. Everything was going as perfectly normal as Quinn could hope for until she felt pressure on her shoulder. She figured Rachel had just shifted and would shift back, but when the pressure didn't relent she looked over and was shocked by what she saw.

Rachel had fallen asleep while reading her book and had leaned over to use Quinn's shoulder as a pillow. Quinn couldn't even begin to describe how guiltily happy she was with the situation. Rachel looked so cute and innocent as she slept that Quinn almost hoped that they could just stay this way forever. But she also realized that if Rachel was awake this situation would never happen and she felt guilty for allowing it to continue when she knew Rachel wouldn't be happy with it when she woke up.

A few minutes into this new situation Quinn felt Rachel moving and watched as Rachel snuggled herself more into the crook of Quinn's neck and shoulder. This new position caused Rachel's warm breath to wash over Quinn's neck and the blonde shuddered at the sensation. The combination of this new feeling and the fact she could now smell that the diva smelled like strawberries, aroused Quinn more than she would ever admit to anyone.

Despite feelings of guilt at feeling this way, Quinn didn't disturb Rachel as she slept. Looking round she saw Kurt and Mercedes sitting across the aisle watching her every move. As she looked over they both gave her a thumbs up, to which she frowned and shook her head.

Quinn was regretting telling the two of them about her obsession with the petite diva. She knew she couldn't get her hopes up and didn't appreciate them trying to get her hopes up either.

It wasn't until the captain announced their descent that Quinn decided to do anything about Rachel. Being as gentle as she could Quinn tried to shake her shoulder underneath the smaller girl who began to rouse out of her slumber.

As Rachel began to take in her surroundings she noticed that she was leaning onto a warm surface that she didn't recognize. It took another moment for her to realize which side of the seat she was leaning on and to freak out about what she had done. Shooting up in her seat she looked over in terror at the girl she had been asleep on. "Oh my god…Quinn I am so sorry! I didn't mean to fall asleep on you! I'm so sorry if I made you uncomfortable and I swear I won't do anything to disturb you again if you never want to talk to me and…"

"Berry! Calm down!" Quinn watched as Rachel quickly shut her mouth and looked at her terrified of her reaction. Quinn couldn't stand the fact that she was the one who caused that look on Rachel's face and did her best to calm the other girl down. "Look it wasn't your fault and if I cared that badly I would've woken you up much sooner so calm down. I'm not mad at you Berry."

Rachel was shocked by how calm Quinn was about the whole thing. It was on the verge of almost being _nice_. Well, it wasn't really nice, so much as it was not mean at all, and Rachel would take what she could get.

Both girls spent the remaining few minutes of the flight ignoring what occurred and preparing for landing. As they all disembarked they looked to Mr. Schue for instruction, who told them all to meet at the baggage claim. Making their way through the large airport took some time, as they had to wait to take the monorail from their gate to the main building. It was a fun experience for the teens, as it showed how close they were to their destination and the place that made monorails famous.

As the two teams stood at baggage claim waiting for everyone to collect their belongings Sue walked over and stood next to Will. "Hello William. I hope the flight was miserable for you back in coach. I know that it's so easy to end up with joint pain back there compared to those of us up in first class."

Will rolled his eyes at the taunts and wondered if he really had to deal with her non-stop for more than a week. "Well Sue, I found myself to be perfectly comfortable. Was there something that you needed Sue?"

"Yes William, I was just coming to inform you that we once again have separate busses for our teams. They're out in the parking lot. I figured I would let you know that when my Cheerio bus beats yours to the resort I will be checking into our reservations and will just happen to forget to give you the keys to your three Glee rooms. I hope you like sleeping outside Will. Becky! Get them out into the bus!"

"Yes coach!"

Will watched as Sue walked over to her Cheerios and smirked. Turning back around he saw his kids looking worried, before Rachel spoke up, "Mr. Schue, shouldn't we be hurrying to beat Sue at her games?"

"Nope. When Figgins paid for the reservations he split the two into one named William McKinley High and one called New Directions, which I have right here." He waved the folder that Figgins had given him in front of the kids, who all looked relieved and smug about beating Sue. "Alright, so let's head to the bus."

Thankfully for Quinn and Rachel this bus was slightly bigger than the one they had in Ohio, and allowed them to spread out. It was getting later at night but the whole club was too excited to even think about sleep. It was a bit of a drive from Orlando International Airport to Walt Disney World and the suspense only built the longer it took.

Without any warning Rachel suddenly shouted, "Look there it is!" followed by pandemonium as the whole club fought over spots to see the gate, which consisted of a giant Mickey and Minnie on either side of an arch that displayed the words Walt Disney World, "Where Dreams Come True." Everyone cheered as they passed beneath the arch and began trying to direct Mr. Schuester to their location.

"Mr. Schuester the Beach Club is located at the Epcot section of the property, follow the signs that indicate that way."

"How the hell do you know where to go Berry?"

"Because I've been preparing nonstop since the announcement Noah." Despite her insistence of following her directions, others shouted out different advice that left them taking several wrong turns and in a big circle before they finally arrived. "If we had followed my directions we would have been here fifteen minutes ago."

They knew it was true but none gave her the acknowledgement that she was seeking. Grabbing their bags the group headed in through the front doors and into the lobby, which resembled an old-fashioned New England resort. As Mr. Schuester went up to the front desk to check-in, the kids sat around on the wide array of chairs and couches that filled the lobby.

It didn't take long for Mr. Schue to take care of their reservations and come back over to the group. "Okay, we're all checked in. We've got three rooms in the villas, two two-bedroom suites and one studio for me. You are on the second floor in rooms 216 and 217, and I'm upstairs in 325. You each get a key card that is also your pass into the different theme parks, so don't lose them. The villas are all over in their own separate building on the front side of the resort. In the morning tomorrow I've set up a reservation at the breakfast buffet they have hear, so everyone needs to meet in the lobby by 8:00. Alright, grab your things and let's go."

After grabbing their bags they followed Mr. Schuester out of the lobby and down a long hallway to the left of the entrance to the main lobby. Mid-way down the hall they walked past a large store that Will pointed out, "This is the Beach Club Marketplace, the store for our hotel. It sells food, clothes—"

"Booze," Puck interrupted, causing several of the teens to laugh, but left Will stone-faced.

"I am trusting you guys a lot on this trip and I expect you all to keep that trust. Especially with drinking."

"Ya, got it Schue. No boozing while you're the boss, got it." As soon as Will turned back around to show them the rest of the way Puck turned and winked at Santana and Britanny, who rolled their eyes and followed their teacher.

They reached the end of the hallway and had to pass outdoors from the main building to their building. Once inside it was a quick elevator ride to their floor and the two rooms. Mr. Schue followed them to their rooms to make sure they were all set and then prepared to go up to his own room, but first, "I just want to remind you all, 8 am in the lobby."

Following a muttering of assents he let the two groups go into their rooms. Entering their room it took just seconds for the girls to start running around like little children. Rachel ran forward, straight from their door, "Look! We have everything you could want in a kitchen! Fridge, oven, microwave, silverware! We can make all the vegan food we want!"

"Berry no one wants your nasty fake tofu food." Santana followed Rachel in but took her first left. "Oh hell yes! This room is boss and it is for me and Brit."

Quinn followed Santana and found herself looking at the master bedroom with its king size bed, Jacuzzi tub and separate bathroom. "And what makes you think that you and B get to decide who sleeps where?"

"Because Q, I was planning on getting some tonight and unless you're saying that you, Queen Latifah, darkness or manhands wants to watch, we're on our own."

"But San, maybe they do want to watch so they can learn what to do when they do it."

The whole room went silent at Britanny's outburst, before Santana spoke up, "Brit it wasn't really a question. They are not watching, now come here." Both Rachel and Quinn were thankful that the Latina's answer and the pair's subsequent make out session on the way into their room covered for their overheating faces at Britanny's suggestion.

Mercedes walked further into the first room and looked around before turning back to the rest of them, "This must be the living room and one of the pullout couches." She gave an imperceptible nod to Tina.

"Oh, yes, I was wondering if you guys minded if I slept out here? I'm still kind of shy and would rather be alone than in a room of three people."

Mercedes almost smiled at the great acting performance Tina was putting on. "That's cool with me, how 'bout you two?"

Rachel nodded almost immediately, "Yes, of course Tina. I wouldn't think of forcing you into such a situation if you are uncomfortable."

"Ya sure," Quinn's reply was far more subdued as she realized what was about to happen, even if Rachel didn't. Without waiting further she turned to the right and moved into the second bedroom, where she passed by their bathroom, before moving further into the room to see the queen bed and the smaller pullout couch.

Quinn resigned herself to waiting for the next words out of Mercedes mouth as the other two girls filed in to the room. They came fairly quickly, "So, I guess I'll be taking the other pullout then."

Rachel, on the other hand, was not expecting this at all. "What? Why wouldn't you sleep with Quinn? You two used to live together."

Mercedes dropped her suitcase on the couch before answering, "I can't keep still when I sleep. I kick and punch and steal all of the blankets, which, while I would be fine with hitting you in the nose once or twice, I don't think anyone would appreciate."

Rachel subconsciously brought her hand to her nose before looking over at Quinn. The blonde was looking in the opposite direction, but was unpacking things out of her suitcase onto the bed, which Rachel took as a sign that she wasn't going to argue with Mercedes. Rachel put her suitcase onto the other side of the bed and tried to get some sort of read on the other girl's feelings. When it was clear that she wasn't going to get anything, she took out her pajamas and went into the bathroom to change.

Quinn waited to hear the door close before she looked at Mercedes who seemed to be purposely avoiding her gaze. "What the hell Mercedes? This is so wrong! Making me sleep in the same bed with the person who is afraid of me but I have a crush on! Come on!"

Mercedes did not take kindly to the attitude, "Hey, don't look at me, you know that you can't sleep in the same bed as me since that one night I helped you while you cried and I punched you in the face."

Quinn grimaced at the memory, "Fine, it's not your fault. I'm sorry for snapping at you."

"Besides you can use this as an opportunity to take advantage of the situation."

Quinn was horrified by the suggestion, "I would never take advantage of her! I'm not Puck or Jesse St. Asshole, she deserves better than that."

"Alright, I was just kidding. But have fun fighting off your urge to cop a feel of that in the middle of the night."

Quinn huffed in disgust and grabbed her toothbrush to go brush her teeth. Standing at one of the two sinks in their room she had just started brushing when she heard the bathroom door open and saw Rachel come out in her pajamas. She was wearing what Quinn thought had to be the shortest sleep-shorts ever made, showing off far more leg than should have been possible on the small girl, and a skintight tank top that showed off multiple inches of her firm midriff.

The sight was so shocking and stimulating that she stopped brushing and had drool leaking from her mouth before Rachel looked at her and she quickly turned away. Quinn was mortified by what just occurred, and hoped to god that Rachel hadn't noticed the creepy jew-fro-esque staring.

Rachel hadn't noticed but was worried herself about Quinn's feelings regarding their situation. She stepped up to the other sink and took out her toothbrush and toothpaste. Before she could start she turned to Quinn, "Quinn, I know that this may be far from either of our ideal situation, but I promise that I will do my best to respect your space and stay as far on my side of the bed as possible."

"It's a big bed Berry. I think we will be able to get through the night without coming anywhere near each other." Quinn finished with her teeth and went back into their room. Climbing into bed she figured that what she had told Rachel was completely true. It was a big bed and it shouldn't be too hard for them to co-exist.

However, when she saw Rachel walk through the room in her sleep outfit, and how much less room there was in the bed than she thought there would be, she had to fight off the urge to roll over towards the smaller girl.

"Goodnight Quinn."

"Night Berry."

'_Get a grip Quinn,'_ she thought. _'You can make it through the night without molesting Rachel.'_ If only she knew how wrong she was.

**A/N:** Probably not gonna update until at least Wednesday, two papers due on Tuesday before Thanksgiving vacation. And reviews por favor, because they make me happy and want to write more of this story. And on a side note saw HP7 yesterday, was far better than the shitstorm that was movie 6. Although, they did cheat by having Bill Nighy as Scrimgeour open up the movie, as I will watch anything that he does and love it. But it was good, cut out a lot of expositions dialogue, which could be annoying had I never read the books, but I enjoyed, and I thought it left off at a great point for part 2.


	4. Breakfast

**Title: **Real Magic- Chapter 4:

**A/N: **And now we get to the actual parks, more meddling, growing closer, and more Disney songs to go along. Trying to work in when and why to add some songs that I feel would fit perfectly with certain characters i.e. Sue and villain songs, Will and leadership/advice songs, Faberry falling in love songs, etc. So we'll see how they all fit in the end.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, the Walt Disney Company, or anything that both entail within.**

When Rachel Berry woke up on the first Saturday morning of her Thanksgiving break it took her a moment to realize what was going on. It was still dark out, so she knew that her body had awoken at its normal time in anticipation of her daily exercise routine. However the groggy haze of waking up caused her to process the rest of the information far slower than normal.

She was first going to freak out, as she didn't recognize her surroundings, and only knew that it was _not_ her room. Though before anything did happen the events of the past day came back to her and she recalled their hotel room. It was the hotel room part of the equation that was causing her some problems. She thought back and knew that she was sharing a bed and was sharing one with Quinn, but she didn't realize how much heat would be radiated just from sharing.

And then she realized that there _shouldn't_ be that much heat from the two of them lying on opposite sides of the bed. She double-checked, but she was clearly on her side of the bed, there were only a few inches to the edge. _'So maybe Quinn rolled into the middle of the bed and is taking up most of the room. That makes sense, her family has a lot of money and she probably has a big bed at home to spread out on without other people in it.'_

Rachel decided to just turn quickly and take a look at how far Quinn had spread during the night to see what she should expect for the rest of the week. However as she shifted her weight underneath her to push herself over, Rachel felt the bed shift from behind her as well. Worrying that her movement had woken Quinn up, she went to apologize when the last thing she ever expected happened.

Rachel felt the front of Quinn's body move up flush against her back. The world stopped for the diva as she felt the blonde's slender arm wrap strongly around her stomach and felt the warm deep breaths of the cheerleader against the back of her neck. The perfection of the feeling of her current situation was something that she had dreamed about happening, but never imagined having the slightest chance of that dream actually coming true.

Unfortunately, her wish fulfillment was interrupted by her own reality check. If Quinn woke up with them in this position and her awake she probably wouldn't last the morning alive. She knew she had to get out of the bed and needed to do it quickly.

Hoping that Quinn was a heavy sleeper, Rachel attempted to free herself from Quinn's embrace by lifting the Cheerio's arm back over her body. She did not expect that the slightest attempt at such an action would be met by fierce resistance and with her body being pulled even more flush against Quinn's. Rachel began to worry as the light in the room was increasing and Mercedes seemed to be beginning to stir.

The fear of being caught began to drive her thinking and she once again went to lift Quinn's arm but with far more force and purpose. She was able to extract herself but knew immediately that she had chosen the wrong strategy when she felt Quinn jerk back. Rachel quickly rolled off of the bed and turned back.

Rachel and Quinn locked eyes and froze. The meeting of their eyes lasted, uninterrupted, for what seemed like forever. They both felt that it was as if time had stopped and caught them in their worst nightmare.

It took the sound of Mercedes yawning to snap them out of their trance. Rachel was the one to react first, grabbing her clothes and saying, "I'm going to take a shower!" before she ran to the bathroom and locked herself in.

In their respective locations both Quinn and Rachel had thoughts running through their heads, each interpreting the look in the others eyes. As Rachel turned on the shower and stepped into the hot water, all she could imagine was what was going to happen.

'_She is going to kill me. If she didn't think that I was a lesbian or a tranny before then she certainly will now. She looked so angry at first and then she looked shocked, like she couldn't believe what had actually happened. And there is no way she doesn't blame me for this, despite the obvious evidence that this whole misfortunate incident was her fault.'_

On the other side of the door, in the bedroom, Quinn was trying to get ready for the day but couldn't really concentrate with all of the thoughts that were running through her head.

'_Oh god. She looked terrified. What chance do I have to even befriend her if she is that terrified of me even being close to her? And so much for me being able to control myself around her. I can't even be unconscious without trying to get closer to her. If this had to happen why couldn't I have woken up first and at least had time to enjoy my time spooning her.'_

As they continued through the early morning the two did everything possible to avoid the other like the plague. It was not missed be their third roommate that while the night before they had been so much nicer to each other than ever. Now it seemed that any progress had been thrown out the window.

* * *

Kurt Hummel sat waiting in the lobby for the rest of the members of New Directions to come down for breakfast. Having been relegated to one of the pullout couches he had gotten a terrible nights sleep and had woken up early to make sure he fixed any damage done to his complexion. It was no surprise to him that the first person to join him in the lobby was Rachel.

"Hi Rachel, how was your night sleep."

Kurt hoped that her reaction to the question would tell him if their plan worked, as he didn't feel like waiting for Mercedes to find out. Thankfully the ripened tomato shade of red that she turned gave him a pretty good idea.

"Good morning Kurt, my night was satisfactory, how was yours?"

"Terrible. I was forced by my roommates to occupy one of the horrid couches. Where did you sleep?"

"I slept in the second bedroom's queen bed with Quinn."

The embarrassment that came across in her tone only increased Kurt's curiosity. "And you're both alive? I'm surprised you two didn't kill each other."

"It was a necessity that we share the bed and we were mature enough to put aside our feelings to do so."

Kurt could tell that she was hiding something but didn't want to push Rachel into answering lest she get angry with him. "Well I suppose you two aren't so hostile to each other anymore."

Kurt watched as Rachel nodded, but could tell there was a look of sadness in her eyes at what he said. As they sat in a comfortable silence Kurt thought of how he could get more out of Rachel. They weren't the best of friends, probably couldn't ever be with their personalities, but they had grown closer as Rachel reached out to him when he was lonely. But Kurt knew his friendship could only get him so far, and that he needed more info before he tried to fish for more info.

It took him a few seconds before coming up with a plan of action. "Hey, Rachel, do you want to sit with me at breakfast? I would like to talk to you about different ideas I have."

A big smile crossed her face, before she answered, "Of course Kurt, I would love to eat breakfast with you."

"Great, I have to run back upstairs for a minute, don't forget about me and sit with someone else." He waited for her give him an affirmative answer before he headed off to find Mercedes or Quinn, and hoped they would provide a way to get Rachel to open up about herself.

Kurt quickly headed up the elevator and to the girls room, where he waited for some one to answer his knocking at the door. Finally the door opened and revealed the person he wanted to see. "Quinn, good, just the person I was looking for." Without waiting he hooked her arm and dragged her to the second bedroom.

"Kurt, what are you doing? You're not supposed to be in here."

"Oh, please, like Mr. Schue is gonna care that _I _am in the girls room."

"Why are you in our room?" Kurt sat down on the bed and just smirked at Quinn. "What is that look for? There is absolutely no reason for there to be that look on your face."

"Really Quinn? Because I just talked to Rachel downstairs and the fact that her face is was red as a stop sign when talking about sleeping with you makes me think that something did happen."

Before Quinn could answer Mercedes appeared out of the bathroom, "Oh something happened all right. Those two were just peachy about is last night, but this morning there was major avoidance of each other."

Quinn couldn't believe that Mercedes had noticed anything; she thought the girl was asleep for most of the time. Looking between the two expectant faces Quinn realized there was no way out of telling them nothing. "Alright fine. When we woke up this morning we were sleeping next to each other."

Kurt and Mercedes shared a look before Kurt asked, "Like spooning next-to-each-other, or just really close next-to-each-other?"

Quinn paused a moment in embarrassment, but knew she had to answer at this point. "Spooning, okay? I woke up spooning next to Rachel. Are you happy now?"

"Extremely." Kurt continued at the sight of Quinn's shocked face, "This is the first step to getting you and Rachel together."

"How many times do I have to tell you that there is no getting me and Rachel together? You should have seen her when she got out of bed with me. She looked scared out of her mind, not happy that I molested her all night."

Kurt and Mercedes shared another look, but it was Mercedes who spoke up this time, "Um, Quinn, how did Rachel get out of bed that caused you to wake up?"

"She moved my arm to get away from me holding her, why?"

"Because you are scary angry when someone wakes you up by moving you. I know from first hand experience. She was probably scared by how angry you looked."

Quinn took this into consideration and realized that what Mercedes said was probably true. She knew how angry she was when she woke up and Rachel could easily have thought that it was directed at her and caused by Quinn blaming the situation on Rachel. "Okay, so even is she was just scared of my look when she woke up, that doesn't mean she appreciated me moving all the way across the bed to spoon with her."

"No, it doesn't. But, it doesn't mean she didn't like it either. The only way to find out is to ask, and I plan on doing that next."

"What? You can't be serious!"

Kurt just smiled, got up, and began to walk out, "I asked Rachel to have breakfast with me. It will be interesting to see her perspective on this whole affair. But don't worry, I won't say anything about your feelings."

As Quinn watched Kurt walk out the door she wondered whether she should be hopeful or terrified by Kurt's actions.

* * *

When the entire team finally made it down to the lobby Mr. Schuester led them to the opposite side of the hotel as their room, where they found the Cape May Café. "Okay guys this is where we are going to eat breakfast today. It's a buffet with plenty of options for all of you, so everyone should find something they like, and after we are done we will decide what we want to do today."

They were shown to tables in the back, which sat next to elaborate sand castles built in glass cases. Rachel moved to a small two-person table with Kurt and was curious about what he wanted to talk to her about. It took until after they had both gotten food from the buffet before she found out.

"So, Rachel, I heard from Mercedes that you and Quinn got pretty close last night."

Rachel was horrified that anyone other than Quinn knew what happened the night before. However, she was able to regain her composure and answer neutrally, "Yes, me and Quinn accidentally came together during the night, but it was a complete accident, and I'm sure she feels the same as me when I say that it will not happen again."

"Come on Rachel, I know you're an open person, why wouldn't it happen again? It couldn't have that miserable to sleep with Quinn."

Rachel flushed as she remembered how good it did feel to be in Quinn's arms, and how she wished it might happen again, but she answered how she knew she had to feel. "As open as I am compared to our classmates, and would be with a lesbian relationship, there is no chance it could be with Quinn Fabray. Not only is she a devout Christian in her beliefs, but we have never been close, even in terms of being friends."

Kurt listened, but also watched her blushing the entire time and took her words with a grain of salt. "What if Quinn enjoyed your time together last night? Would you be willing then?"

"While that may have an effect on my answers, we both know that is an impossibility. When she woke up next to me she looked as though she was going to kill me for touching her."

"What if that was just _because_ you woke her up? What if the sleeping with each other had nothing to do with it?"

Rachel was beginning to get suspicious of Kurt's insistence on finding out her feelings. "I don't know Kurt, why does it matter? Quinn and I have and probably will never be anything more than teammates and acquaintances. I have offered my friendship in the past, yet she hasn't taken it, so I won't get my hopes up regarding Quinn."

Kurt was disappointed that his inquiries were being cut off, but didn't show it to keep her from suspicion. "Okay, what are you hoping to do today?"

Rachel's entire demeanor changed at once, as a giant smile broke across her face, "Well that will depend on the park that is decided on of course, but I have—"

"Donald!" Rachel was cut off by the shout from behind her, as they all turned and saw Brittany pointing to where the famous duck had appeared. While Brittany pulled Santana after her to go see the duck, the interruption led Rachel to look around at her various teammates when she met eyes with Quinn.

Just like earlier in the morning once their eyes met the two girls froze and focused on the other. Neither would be able to explain why, but they couldn't take their eyes off the girl in front of them.

It took Mr. Schuester speaking up to shake the two out of their current state. "Okay, Santana, Brittany, come back over here and let the younger kids have a chance with Donald. Now that most of you have finished breakfast, I think it is time for us to decide on where to go today."

To the surprise of no one Rachel was the first one with her hand in the air. "Mr. Schuester, as it is the first day and the first time here for some of us, I believe that we should experience Disney's original creation the Magic Kingdom."

"Okay Rachel, that is a good suggestion, does anyone else have a different idea?" Seeing that no one else really had any objections or suggestions of their own Mr. Schuester continued, "Okay then as soon as everyone is good to go we'll have to head out front to the bus stop."

It took another ten minutes for most of the boys to finish eating, during which Rachel began listing all of the things she wanted to do, and information about the park like she was a Disney encyclopedia. When they finally made it out to the bus stop, Santana had heard enough, "Berry! As great as it is that you are a walking guide book, I don't really want to hear you speaking non-stop."

Rachel stopped talking and sat on one of the benches provided for waiting guests. Seeing the hurt on Rachel's face at being yelled at, Quinn shouted over at Santana, "Hey, S! Not everyone is annoyed by the same things, and I like hearing about what we are about to go do, so leave Berry alone."

Santana looked at Quinn with a hefty dose of suspicion before replying, "Fine Q, but you two could at least keep your live fest to yourselves, and not share with the group."

Rachel was embarrassed by Santana's final words but moved over next to Quinn and said, "Thank you for sticking up for me."

"It's not a problem. I like hearing about the things we are going to do, it makes me excited to get out there and get them done."

Rachel smiled at Quinn and answered, "Me too. I like to envision the future and what it will hold, and I find planning out what I am going to do to be the best way to see the future."

"Like your career on Broadway."

"Yes, Quinn, exactly like my future on Broadway."

The two fell into a comfortable silence as they waited for the bus to arrive. They were both aware of the elephant in the room, but found it far more comfortable to act as though it hadn't happened when they weren't forced to deal with it yet. The arrival of the bus was met with overwhelming enthusiasm from the kids, and they waited with impatience to board as Artie was loaded on first on his wheelchair.

As they all boarded and grabbed seats, it quickly became clear that Rachel and Quinn were going to be stuck together once again, but after the last day neither was bothered by the situation anymore. Both missed the smirks on the faces on New Directions other two divas coming from behind them. Kurt leaned over to Mercedes and whispered, "This is going better than I would have hoped so far. They are getting closer on their own and they are both in denial about where their relationship is going."

"How do you know that this is going to work out? They might be acting friendly, but only Quinn has admitted to having feelings for the other."

"Please, they both like each other, that much is easy to tell. I think that Santana is even picking up on it at this point. The only problem is that they are both oblivious to what the other actually feels about them."

"What do you mean?"

"Quinn is worried that Rachel hates her because of years of bullying, which is completely wrong because Rachel will forgive anyone for anything, and that Rachel doesn't like her, which is also wrong. Rachel is in denial about her own feelings because she thinks Quinn still hates her, which she doesn't, and that showing her feelings will lead to Quinn hating her even more, which definitely wouldn't happen."

"So we need to show them that the other actually likes them enough to stop hiding these feelings."

"Exactly Mercedes."

"And how do we do that?"

"I have a few ideas, but we'll need help. Tina is already in, so Mike shouldn't be a problem. Puck and Artie would probably help, Artie because he's nice, but Puck because he'll be trying to watch them make out. I don't know if Santana and Brittany would help, or cause problems, so we'll hold off on them. But I don't think Finn or Sam can have any idea what's going on or they will surely get in the way."

"You're probably right. Now what do you have in mind?"

* * *

The bus ride took over 15 minutes, but wasn't a big deal as they could see the rides in the park before they arrived. As the bus drove towards the park they passed a massive hotel that was shaped like an elongated A. Rachel was dictating what they were seeing like a tour guide, "That is the Contemporary Resort, it was one of the two original hotels here at Walt Disney World."

The bus quickly passed the hotel and turned into what was obviously the bus drop off spot. The bus pulled into one of the empty spaces and they quickly filed out, but had to wait for Artie to be lowered down on the elevator. Once they were together they followed the rest of the crowds down to the entrance.

"Okay everyone, we're coming up to baggage check, so guys that don't have bags can go right through, but wait for the rest of us to catch up to you." It took a few minutes to get through security and up through the gates.

They all came back together in front of the train station and Mr. Schue spoke up, "Okay so we're going to stick together until I can get a picture of all of you then you'll be free to do what you want. Keep your phones on because I'm going to text all of you when I find something for us to do for lunch."

Walking through the underpass of the train station, the kids of New Directions looked in awe down the street to the infamous castle. Mr. Schue lined them all up and took a picture of the club in front of the castle before letting them run free. He watched Finn, Sam, Puck and Artie all go off to the right towards Tomorrow Land, Santana and Brittany, and Mike and Tina all headed off past the castle towards Fantasyland in the same direction, but not seemingly together, and he saw Kurt and Mercedes dragging the somewhat reluctant looking Rachel and Quinn to the left towards Adventure Land.

It was only when all the kids were gone that Will wondered what he was going to do all week while the kids ran off on their own.

**A/N:** Yes there was a lack of a song in this chapter but I couldn't think of any point where one of them would fit in. I also apologize for the long break, but I was busy with family over the Thanksgiving break. Finals are coming up in a couple of weeks so I'll work when I can, but probably won't be a regular update schedule until winter break. Thanks, and don't forget to review.


	5. Something There Kiss the Girl

**Title: **Real Magic- Chapter 5

**A/N: **Trying to work through this chapter before I have to really dig in for finals. Should definitely be at least one song in this chapter.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, the Walt Disney Company, or anything that both entail within.**

After Mr. Schue took his picture of the club together in front of the castle, Rachel watched the boys, Brittany and Santana, and Mike and Tina run off and started to worry. If Kurt and Mercedes ran off and took Quinn with them she would be alone. Before she could think any further about her concerns Kurt had linked her arm and was pulling her off with him, while Mercedes had Quinn in a similar situation.

"Where are we going?" Not that she minded being included, but it seemed as though she and Quinn were being kidnapped.

"Ya, it'd be nice to know what you two are doing?" Rachel was glad that Quinn agreed that this impromptu rush towards Adventureland seemed very uncalled for.

"We are taking the two of you with us to go to the Pirates of the Caribbean since I know how much you love the movie Quinn."

"While your reasoning for accosting Quinn may have a plausible explanation, Kurt, I have never seen the Pirate of the Caribbean movies before, and do not feel a strong inclination to partake in this ride."

Rachel realized that her speech had stopped the other three in their tracks. "You've never seen the Pirates of the Caribbean movies?"

"No, Quinn, seeing as they are not musicals—ah!" Rachel couldn't stop the shout that escaped her mouth when Quinn was the one to grab her by the arm and pull her in the direction of a wooden bridge with a sign declaring the area they were going to be Adventureland. "Quinn what are you doing?"

"You are going on that ride and we are making you watch Curse of the Black Pearl tonight."

"Quinn, if I agree to your proposal could you stop pulling my arm out of my socket? A dislocation would most definitely affect my ability to perform our dance moves tomorrow."

Quinn realized that in her zeal to introduce Rachel to Pirates of the Caribbean she was really dragging Rachel behind her. Letting go of her arm Quinn apologized, "I'm sorry Rachel, are you all right?" At Rachel's nod she continued, "Good, because you are going on that ride and you are watching that movie."

"If you insist that I must, then I suppose I will have to acquiesce to your request." When Quinn stopped dead again in the middle of Adventureland Rachel was highly confused. "Did I do something wrong? Or is there something else you have seen that you would like to do first?" Rachel looked around at the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, Aladdin's Magic Carpets and the Jungle Cruise. "Because our ride is in the back of this area, but if you would rather do one of these I'm sure the pirates will wait."

"You know you talk a lot and it's really hard to get a word in edgewise." At Rachel's sheepish look she continued, "You did nothing wrong and I don't want to go on another ride, it's just what you said about acquiescing to my request is a line right out of the movie."

"Oh, well I'm quite sure that I've never seen the film, but it is a strange coincidence." Rachel felt that their conversation was distinctly lacking something and realized that Kurt and Mercedes were nowhere to be seen. "Where did Kurt and Mercedes go?"

Quinn looked around for the two who started this quest to Pirates (she never should have shared her obsession with those movies with Mercedes) and couldn't see them anywhere. "I don't know. I figured they would follow behind us when I started dragging you along."

"Maybe they passed us while we were talking and we didn't notice." Rachel had mixed feelings on their disappearance and felt she probably would deal with being around Quinn better if others were around.

"Well there's no use in us sitting around here if they did. We should just go over there and see if we find them."

"Yes, that seems to be a good course of action, but may I ask that I be allowed to walk without assistance? I will go willingly to see what you find to be such an important experience."

Quinn had to laugh a little at her request. "Yes, Rachel, you can walk on your own. What is that look for?"

Rachel realized that her confusion must be showing on her face and answered the question, even though she didn't want to answer in case it caused a negative reaction. "You have now called me Rachel twice in our conversation. It's just odd hearing you call me by my given name rather than my given name or an insult."

Quinn had to hide a wince at the truth, but quickly covered it up with a smirk. "Maybe I just happen to like it better than calling you a type of fruit all day long. Now come on, it's time to ride some rides."

Rachel smiled and nodded, "Yes, I think that is a good idea." She felt a little odd walking with Quinn alone as friends, but felt it could be far worse than it was now. Frankly Quinn was being kind to her, which was far from what she expected after the position they woke up in that morning.

Little did the two know, but Kurt and Mercedes were watching their plan work better than they imagined it would. "Look they're both smiling and going off together. We are geniuses."

"Or extremely lucky. We had no idea that Rachel wouldn't have seen Quinn's favorite movie. Or that Quinn would make it her mission to introduce Rachel to it."

"Mercedes, must you diminish my feelings of accomplishment. Things are going so well, and we did start this whole thing with our make Quinn happy with Pirates idea."

"I gotta diminish your accomplishment because it led to us being on this dumb attraction. All you do is walk through a big tree house. _And_ we don't really know what they are saying, despite the smiles."

Kurt looked around the room of the Swiss Family Robinson Tree House they were overlooking their teammates from. "I don't know, this place is very castaway chic."

"You did not just say that."

While the two divas argued over the pros and cons of living in a tree house while they scrambled back down to follow their teammates, Quinn was beginning to get impatient. She was standing with Rachel just outside the recreation of the Pirate castle where the entrance to the ride was, and where Rachel had insisted that they wait for Kurt and Mercedes. "Rachel, they aren't here and knowing those two, they could be anywhere. We're going to waste our day waiting for them."

Rachel looked around one more time and realized that Quinn was probably right. "Okay." She followed Quinn's lead into the entrance to the ride and immediately wondered if there was a reason for the line to be so cold.

Quinn noticed that Rachel looked uncomfortable and wondered if she had done something to upset her. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, yes Quinn it is just quite cold in here compared to the Florida heat and sun outside."

Quinn was relieved that it was something so trivial. "It's supposed to be the depths of a Pirate fortress in here, of course it's going to be cold."

Rachel shivered again. "While I do appreciate the attention to detail that has clearly been put into making this seem like a realistic dungeon, the temperature realism is unnecessary."

Quinn found Rachel's complaints about keeping the temperature realistically cold while appreciating the details to be endearingly Rachel, but as they moved through the line and Rachel seemed to be increasingly bothered by the cold she felt the need to do something. "Here, blow on your hands like in was winter."

Rachel, who was hugging her own arms in an attempt to warm them, looked at Quinn like she was crazy. "Quinn, my hands alone are the least of my problems."

"Just trust me." It took a minute for Rachel to believe that Quinn was really trying to help, but she did as she was told. The warm air on her hands felt good, but her arms were quickly getting colder. "Quinn? This doesn't seem to be working."

"Just keep doing it and give me a second." Quinn was taking as long as she could to psych herself up for her plan. Taking a deep breath Quinn reached out and grabbed onto Rachel's slim arms with her hands.

Rachel was unsure what Quinn was doing at first but as soon as the blonde's hands touched her cold skin she felt immediate relief. Quinn's hands were incredibly warm, and as she rubbed them up and down Rachel's arms, the brunette could feel the warmth spread throughout her body. "Quinn…"

Quinn was incredibly happy at the relief that she was seeing on Rachel's face, but quickly moved to shock as the smaller girl almost moaned her name. "Yes, Rachel?"

"I must sincerely thank you. You are incredibly warm."

"It's not a problem, I have really good circulation." Quinn continued to keep as much contact with Rachel as she could while they were moving along the line, but it was soon time to enter the boat of the ride.

As Rachel entered the boat first she immediately missed the contact with Quinn and the cold was quickly returning. As Quinn sat next to her she went to ask if there was any way for Quinn to continue helping her, but before she could she felt an arm wrap around her shoulder and the side of Quinn's body pressed against hers. The heat that was radiating from the contact was so great that Rachel was worried that she might be too _hot_ by the end of the ride.

As the boat took off they quickly came upon a wall of mist that had the disembodied head of a creature that Rachel couldn't even begin to recognize. Then she was even more surprised when said head began talking. _"If ye be brave or fool enough to face a pirate's curse, proceed."_

"Quinn, why is there a disembodied, squid-faced head voiced by Bill Nighy in the mist?"

Quinn was baffled by the fact that Rachel had no idea about anything to do with the movies, but that she also could identify the actor of Davy Jones from a couple of seconds on the ride. "It's part of the movies, you'll understand when you see them."

Rachel accepted Quinn's explanation and watched as they passed by scenes of pirate skeletons with a creepy deep voice repeatedly saying, _"Dead men tell no tales…"_ At this point Rachel wondered what the big deal was, when suddenly the boat went over a ledge and dropped down a fall.

Rachel was startled but this appeared to be where the ride picked up as they passed through various scenes depicting a pirate battle and subsequent pillage and arson of a city. Although it was a good ride in Rachel's opinion, she couldn't see what the big deal really was. However, she didn't say anything because she was fascinated by the look of joy on Quinn's face as they rode along.

Rachel did spot the various half hidden animatronics based on Johnny Depp and resolved to ask Quinn about it after. When the ride finally ended Rachel climbed from the boat and turned to help Quinn out after her. Quinn saw Rachel's outstretched hand and grabbed on with a smile. "Thanks, Rachel."

"It is no problem at all Quinn, you did me a far greater favor by alleviating my discomfort from the cold. I do wonder if you would explain the appearance of Bill Nighy and Johnny Depp on the ride."

Quinn was snapped out of her focus on the ride and back to the fact that Rachel was completely unaware of the significance of any of the characters on the ride. "They are characters in the movie, Rachel. Which considering you only watch musicals why do you know either of them?"

"Quinn, Bill Nighy was involved in the 1989 film version of Phantom of the Opera, and Johnny Depp very successfully played the titular character in the movie version of Sweeney Todd."

"I suppose that explains it." They had finished walking out of the ride and ended up in an outdoor gift shop filled with pirate memorabilia.

Rachel saw that Quinn was interested in what surrounded them. "Do you want to look around?"

"Sure, meet you up front in five minutes?" At Rachel's nod Quinn started to wander off into the maze that made up the marketplace themed store.

Now that she was on her own for a minute Rachel thought back on the time she spent with Quinn over the last 45 minutes. It was by far the best time that they had ever shared, and it had happened after the situation of that morning. Rachel was really seeing a side of Quinn that she had never seen before.

**There's something sweet, and almost kind,**

**But she was mean, and she was coarse and unrefined,**

**And now she's dear, and so I'm sure,**

**I wonder why I didn't see it there before**

Across the shop Quinn glanced over and saw Rachel watching her run around like a child, while the diva appeared to be singing softly to herself. A couple years ago she would get angry and call Rachel some terrible name, but now she smiled and hoped that Rachel didn't come to her senses and freak out because of her unusual attitude.

She glanced this way, I thought I saw,

And when we touched she didn't shudder or withdraw,

No it can't be, I'll just ignore,

But then she's never looked at me that way before.

Rachel saw Quinn look over and smile at her and felt her heart flutter at the slight gesture. She knew that it would probably hurt to have these feelings in the end, but she was enjoying the way that being friends with Quinn made her feel.

**New, and a bit alarming,**

**Who'd have ever thought that this could be?**

**True that she's no **_**Prince**_** Charming,**

**But there's something in her that I simply didn't see**

Unbeknownst to both their shared glances and smiles were being observed from across the store by the still 'missing' Kurt and Mercedes who were unbelievably giddy at the sight of the two. Kurt turned to Mercedes,

_Well who'd have thought?_

_Well bless my soul_

_Well who'd have known?_

_Well who indeed?_

_And who'd have guessed they'd come together on their own?_

_It's so peculiar, wait and see,_

_I'll wait and see_

_**A few days more,**_

_**There may be something there that wasn't there before**_

Rachel made her way to the front of the store where she found Quinn buying a necklace that appeared to be a gold coin hanging from a simple chain. Quinn saw the confusion on Rachel's face and explained, "It's from the movie. You'll see tonight."

"Okay." As the two walked out Rachel pulled out a map that she had grabbed at the entrance. "Where she would we go next? We could backtrack and do more of Adventureland, or we could go left from here and we will be right at Splash Mountain if Frontierland. Personally I would think left would be more fun as Splash Mountain is one of the featured rides of this park and would help cool us off in this heat."

"Cool you off? You were frozen less than fifteen minutes ago."

"Yes, but that was inside your freezing cold Pirate ride. Out here it is beautifully warm and getting wet would feel lovely."

Quinn smiled as Rachel thought out every argument she could. "Okay, we'll do your ride next."

"Thank you Quinn!" Rachel pulled on Quinn's arm to try and hurry the blonde up, "Come on!"

Quinn laughed at Rachel's enthusiasm and hurried after her. They left the market place and headed in to the back of Frontierland right at the base of Splash Mountain. They stopped for a minute to watch one of the log boats go down the iconic large hill and get splashed at the bottom, which only seemed to fuel Rachel's excitement.

Quinn also recalled the ride from her youth and was excited to ride too, but was coming to a realization that seemed to have completely slipped Rachel's mind. Rachel had clearly packed all summer clothes as she wore a pretty white tanktop. Quinn's problem was that she could already see the outline of Rachel's dark bra, and could only imagine what would happen if the tanktop got wet.

Unfortunately for Quinn, Rachel had already dragged her across the bridge that the logs passed under and around the mountain to the ride entrance. There seemed to be no stopping Rachel on her mission, so she figured they could deal with it when they got off with a new shirt or something similar.

* * *

While Rachel and Quinn were getting closer in Adventureland, the boys had run straight for the biggest thrill ride that the park provided, Space Mountain. Thanks to Artie they had been moved to the front of the line and had quickly already gotten one ride out of the way.

Walking back out into the sunlight from the indoor roller coaster the four were discussing the ride. "While it is not the fastest roller coaster I've ever experienced, the addition of darkness as a visual handicap from seeing where you are going truly adds to the ride."

"Ya, well I thought that sucked. How can I get excited by what's going on if I can't see anything?"

"Calm down Puck, I gotta agree with Artie on this one. Being in the dark totally makes the ride better. What'd you think Sam?"

"Hmm?" The blonde seemed to come back to reality, "Oh, yeah it was good dude."

"Is there something wrong man? You've totally been out of it since we got here"

"Ya Finn, I'm fine, just a little distracted."

Puck watched the blonde's gaze as he kept staring towards the other end of the park. "I know what's wrong, you want to get your girl back cause you need some."

"What?"

"I see you looking over towards where Quinn ran off with Berry and the diva duo. It's okay to want some, I'm thinking about findin' Santana at some point, and my boy Artie already said he wants to find Brittany before the day is done."

"Yes, it really is quite natural to crave the attention of someone to help relieve stress and provide comfort."

Finn looked confused at what the two were saying. "I thought that you were all broken up?"

"So what bro? I'm getting after that later, relationship or no. You've been so depressed lately that I'm surprised you ain't gonna go after some time with _your_ old girl."

"Rachel wouldn't just hook up with me just because I ask."

"Why not? 'Girls want sex just as much as boys' remember? She isn't going to get any without you, she'd probably go right for it. Same for Sammy-boy and Quinnie. She can act like she doesn't want it constantly, but you know deep down she is dying for it."

Sam was getting increasingly put off by their conversation. "This is getting more than a little offensive, don't you think?"

"Hell no, these girls have conversations about us all the time. In fact since we all are in the same spot, let's make this interesting."

Finn was uneasy with any idea Puck would come up with. "Interesting how?"

"We bet on who gets some from their girl first. Starting after lunch, anything goes, winner gets 20 bucks each from the losers. And by that I mean you will all owe me 20 bucks by the minute lunch ends."

"I highly doubt you could convince Santana after the last time when she kneed you downstairs. Brittany and I, however, parted on positive terms and should be easy to convince to get together with me again."

"I'm only in if the girls never know. Rachel might kill me if she finds out."

Nods from Puck and Artie left Sam as the only one left. "I don't know, this seems like a bad idea."

"Bad idea? It's chasing chicks for a prize, this is the best idea ever."

Realizing there was no way out Sam agreed. "Fine, but you already know I'm most likely to lose."

"Probably, but no backing out now." Puck grinned and held out his hand and waited for the others to put theirs in the middle as well. "Let the games begin."

After breaking out of their huddle Artie spoke up, "All this talk of competition has made me want to show my dominance over you all. I vote for Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, where my superior aim and shooting ability will put you all to shame."

The boys made their way over, arguing over who would win the entire time.

* * *

It took over a half an hour to work their way through the winding line but Quinn and Rachel were finally coming down the last little hill to the loading dock. "Quinn, is there a particular seat that you would prefer that we sit in?"

"It doesn't really matter Rachel, we're going to be pretty wet no matter where we sit." Quinn didn't really think that there was much of a difference, but if she had to choose one seat that she would rather not sit in it would be the—

"Front, yes!" Quinn loved seeing the smile on Rachel's face, but was worried if she should have said something before. Climbing in after Rachel she saw that their seats were already covered in water droplets and that they would have to sit in them and get wet already.

Quinn's fears only increased as they gently pulled away out from the dock the water got dangerously high on the front of the log. She also didn't like that the first thing they came across as they rounded the first corner was an upward ramp. As they crested the rise the dip at the top ended with water splashing over the front and onto their laps.

"Ha-ha, isn't this great Quinn, we're getting wet already!" Quinn looked over at Rachel and gave her a smile and a nod, but couldn't help but notice that the hem of Rachel's tanktop was already wet, and was already highly see-through, showing off the lower portion of Rachel's stomach.

The ride came around the front of the giant drop and to the foot of another ramp. Quinn couldn't even begin to predict that the log that was falling next to them would create a sideways splash that would nail them and leave them extremely wet already.

Quinn could hear Rachel laughing but tried to focus on the scenery rather than look over again and see how see-through her shirt was now. The detail in the outdoor critter homes was very nice and this slow part of the ride kept her calm about the water situation, until the section that she was enjoying ended in another drop that splashed them over the front.

"Quinn is something wrong? Are you not enjoying yourself on this ride?"

Quinn hated that Rachel had to be so damn observant at the worst possible time. She hoped that they could get through the ride before she had to deal with looking at Rachel, but she couldn't just ignore her. Turning to the smaller girl, Quinn couldn't help the heat that rose to her face or churned inside her at the sight of Rachel and her shirt, or essential lack there of from the water.

"The ride is fine Rachel, it's just…"

"Just what Quinn?"

"It's your shirt Rachel."

Rachel looked down and almost shrieked in surprise at what she saw. Her shirt was essentially useless as she could see right through it. "Quinn, I'm so sorry that my essential state of undress is making you so uncomfortable. I truly didn't mean to—"

"Rachel it's fine! We'll just need to get you a new shirt when the ride's over."

Rachel tried to take Quinn's word for it, but could tell how uncomfortable Quinn was now compared to earlier. She tried to focus on the animatronics story of Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox, and Brer Bear, and the music, but had to fight back tears at the thought that her shirt had ruined what had been developing all morning.

It wasn't long before they dropped down another hill and into another splash, but this time it was into the dark and lit by blue light. Quinn looked over and the glow of Rachel's shirt lessened the visibility of what was beneath it. She almost wished she hadn't told Rachel, as all of her exuberance had disappeared since then.

They shortly came to the bottom of the biggest ramp they had come to by far. "Hey, Rachel, get ready cause this is the big hill."

Rachel turned to Quinn and saw the blonde smiling at her, and returned the favor. "Of course Quinn, I'm always ready for anything." Of course Rachel had never been on anything like the ride before and was more than a little nervous as they kept climbing.

As they crested the rise, the height that they were at was and the speed they fell at led to Rachel screaming at the top of her lungs. She only stopped when a wall of water slammed into her and Quinn at the bottom. As Rachel sputtered and tried to dry her face she heard Quinn laughing hysterically. "What is so funny Quinn?"

"You should have heard yourself scream! You were so loud that I'd be surprised if the whole glee club didn't hear you."

"This is no laughing matter Quinn! That was a very intimidating drop and I'm now completely soaked through and cold again!"

"Okay I'll try not to laugh." As their boat slowly floated into the last section of the ride they passed the party scene on the river boat Rachel began to sing along with the animatronics to Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah, which Quinn couldn't help but laugh slightly at.

"Quinn! You said you wouldn't laugh at me!"

"I'm sorry! I can't help it when you act so cute like that." The instant Quinn finished talking both of the two girls froze, lost in their own thoughts. _'Dear god, please tell me I didn't just say that to her face. What do I do now? And she's still wearing that shirt. It is going to be so awkward when we get off this ride.'_

Rachel wasn't doing much better in keeping her composure. _'Did she just call me cute? Who is this and what have they done with Quinn Fabray? What do I even say now? Thanks Quinn, for calling me cute? She'll probably think I want her, and seeing as I do she can never know.'_

As the ride pulled back into the loading area Rachel became very self-conscious of the fact that everyone around could see through her shirt. She was quick to jump out of the boat and hurry up the exit ramp toward the gift shop. Quinn had barely climbed out as she saw Rachel running out. "Rachel! Wait up!"

Quinn thanked her longer legs and general athleticism for allowing her to catch up to Rachel fairly quickly. "Quinn, I can't just stand around, I must do something to cover up how exposed I am."

"Okay, look there should be a bathroom around here somewhere, so just wait in there and I'll be there in a minute."

Rachel nodded and hurried through the store and out the exit. Quinn looked around and grabbed a Splash Mountain towel and a small t-shirt and hurried to the register. She realized that Rachel was probably extremely self-conscious right now, and wanted to help as soon as possible. Hurrying out with the clothes Quinn found the bathroom almost immediately.

"Rachel?"

"I'm in here."

Quinn followed the sound of her voice until she found Rachel in the last stall. "Here, I grabbed a towel and a shirt."

Rachel opened the door and took what Quinn was holding out. "Thank you Quinn."

Quinn didn't have a chance to answer before the door was closed and she could hear Rachel taking off her wet shirt. It took a few minutes before Rachel came back out with her new shirt on. "It's a little bit short, but I greatly appreciate it Quinn."

Quinn looked down to see what she meant and the shirt was clearly several inches too short and was riding up to Rachel's belly button. _'God treasure trail was a dumb nickname.'_

"It looks good on you."

Rachel could feel her face heating again. "Thank you Quinn. I used the towel to dry my hair some, do you want to use it?"

"Sure." As Quinn was drying her hair, Rachel thought back on the compliments Quinn had been paying her all day. _'First she says I act cute, then she says the shirt looks good on me? What is going on with Quinn?'_

"All done."

Rachel looked up and saw Quinn smiling at her, which she couldn't help but smile back at, and nod before following Quinn out of the bathroom.

"Quinn, I do want to apologize for making you so uncomfortable on the ride. I know that you said that it wasn't a big deal, but I could tell it was making you uncomfortable that it appeared as though I had no shirt on. The incident was completely unintentional and I hope it has no lasting effects on our… friendship."

"Rachel." Quinn turned and smirked at her, "Maybe it's not what you think it is. Now come on I want to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad before Mr. Schue calls us for lunch." As soon as she finished Quinn turned and ran through the crowd that was gathered in the area at the bottom of Splash Mountain where they were up the hill to the entrance of Big Thunder Mountain.

"Quinn! What do you mean 'not what I think it is?'" Rachel tried to chase after her, but couldn't keep up. "Quinn not everyone runs as fast as you or is as tall as you with your long legs!."

Quinn turned and let out a laugh, "Come one! What about all those hours on your elliptical every morning?"

Rachel was closing in when Quinn turned and ran ahead again. "Quinn! This is losing the miniscule amount of amusement that it contained when it started!"

"Come one we're here!" Quinn continued running through the beginning of the line, up towards the 'train station.'

Rachel continued after Quinn, but only finally caught up when Quinn was stopped behind other people in line. "Quinn, that was highly uncalled for. You could have waited for me to catch up."

"What fun would that be?" Seeing that Rachel was going to be stubborn, Quinn relented. "Alright, I'm deeply sorry. How could I possibly make it up to you?"

"By telling me what you meant before you started running away."

"You have to figure that one out for yourself."

Rachel huffed in frustration, but couldn't help smiling back at Quinn's amused look. "You know you're really very pretty when smile." When she realized what she said she tried to explain. "I…I mean…it's just that you usually frown at school and it's nice when you smile because it's not very often when you do and—"

"Thank you, Rachel." She smiled at Rachel's sheepish expression. "Maybe it's just been an unusually good day."

"Yes, well that would make sense as this is supposed to be the happiest place on earth."

"Or maybe the company's just been better than usual."

Rachel couldn't think of anything to say to express how happy she was at what Quinn said. Instead she did the first thing she could think of instinctually, and throw her arms around Quinn. It didn't take long before she jumped back.

"I'm sorry! I was just so happy and I thought that friends hug right? And—"

"Rachel! Friends do hug, so calm down and give me one without freaking out"

Rachel stood dumbfounded as Quinn held out her arms, but quickly took Quinn up on her offer and wrapped her arms around the taller girl. The warmth and comfort of Quinn's arms made Rachel feel like she belonged there, and that nothing could break the perfection of that feeling.

Unfortunately they were interrupted by a deliberate cough behind them, leading Quinn to realize they were holding up the line. "Sorry." She released Rachel and hurried to fill the empty space that they had created in the line.

Rachel followed after Quinn, but she was distracted by the hug, and by what Quinn had said earlier. _'What did she mean when she said that maybe it wasn't what I thought it was? We were talking about how she was uncomfortable, so why else would she be uncomfortable with my see-through shirt than the obvious. Quinn was clearly trying to avoid looking at me because she likes guys and not girls, right? The only other option would be that Quinn…likes…"_

Quinn noticed Rachel was spacing out. "Rachel, are you okay?" They were approaching the end of the ramp down to where the trains loaded, and Rachel didn't even seem to notice they were about to go on another ride.

"Hmm? Oh, yes Quinn, I am doing especially well, I was just thinking."

"Well join us in the present because we're almost on."

"Yes, of course. I suppose this will be far more enjoyable thrills than those of the last mountain we went on."

"At least it's pretty definite that you won't be needing another shirt."

Rachel smiled as Quinn climbed into the train car first. "Yes, I believe that probably true."

Climbing in after, Rachel pulled down the lap bar and waited for he ride to start. Once the train got going, Rachel found the trip through the destroyed mining town and caverns to be far more entertaining than a huge drop into water. As the ride finished she couldn't help but feel disappointed. "Can we do that again?"

Quinn laughed at Rachel's enthusiasm, but had to break the bad news. "Unfortunately Mr. Schuester texted us while we were on the ride. He wants everyone to meet up for lunch at Cosmic Ray's Starlight Café."

"That's quite a walk we should probably get going."

"We could always race there?"

"No!" Rachel couldn't believe Quinn would even suggest such a thing, but then noticed how hard she was trying not to laugh. "That was not amusing Quinn!"

"Alright, fine." Quinn offered her arm, and Rachel linked her own through. "We can just walk if it makes you happy."

"Walking there with you will certainly make me happy, Quinn."

* * *

"I can't believe you lost them!"

"I lost them! You were supposed to be looking for them when they got off the ride!"

"I told you I was getting a bottle of water, what were you doing?"

"I was where I had been the entire time! Staying out of sight near the entrance to the train."

Kurt sighed, "Where you had a perfect view of the exit of Splash Mountain, they would have walked right by you."

"Whatever, we'll just pick up after lunch."

"What if they've killed each other while we were gone?"

"Calm down, Kurt. They'll be fine. This plan is working out beautifully from what we've seen so far."

"Hey, Kurt, Mercedes!" The two divas watched as Tina waved and ran over with Mike a step behind.

"Hello Tina and Mike."

Tina looked beyond excited and curious as she finished her approach. "So? How'd the plan go?"

Mike came up behind looking far more confused than Kurt or Mercedes had ever seen. "What plan? And why are we running around?"

"You didn't tell him?"

"I didn't see the need to since you two were gonna take care of it this morning"

"Okay hold up! What is going on?" Mike looked between the three of them to try and figure out what they knew that he hadn't been told about.

The three shared a look before Kurt started to explain, "Okay, since before we left we have been working to get Rachel and Quinn together."

Mike just stood and looked all three in the face one at a time, ending with his girlfriend. When he had looked over all of them and seen that they weren't joking he started laughing. "You're serious?"

"Why does everyone think that we're joking when we say this?"

"Because it's nuts?"

"It is working, thank you very much." Kurt waited to build the drama as Mike still looked skeptical and Tina looked curious. "Okay the last we saw them after Pirates of the Caribbean they were totally both into each other, they just need to say it to each other."

"I'll believe it when I see it."

"And see it you shall when we get to lunch. Now where is this place Mr. Schuester picked out? It sounded unbelievably tacky."

"I'm sure it will be fine Kurt." At _his_ skeptical look Tina continued, "Just because we're not eating at the castle doesn't mean it won't be good."

The four continued to small talk as they quickly moved toward the far end of Fantasyland and nearer to their destination. They passed the famous spinning teacups and saw the restaurant on their right with Mr. Schuester standing outside with Artie, Puck, Finn, Sam, Brittany and Santana. "Hey guys, good to see you." Mr. Schuester looked around and seemed confused for a minute. "Do you guys know what happened to Quinn and Rachel? They were with you this morning when we split up."

"Quinn and Rachel were hanging out together, we haven't seen them in a while."

Finn seemed concerned, "You left Rachel alone with Quinn? What if she's like, burying Rachel's body somewhere where we'll never find it?"

"Then we won't have to deal with smurfette anymore?"

"Why would Quinn do that? She looks so what happy right now!"

"What are you talking about B?"

"Look!"

The entire club turned around and nearly entirely had to pick their jaws up off the ground. Walking around the corner near the teacups were Rachel and Quinn, arm-in-arm, laughing together about something that they couldn't even begin to imagine.

"Oh—"

"My—"

"God!"

Between Puck, Finn and Santana, their sentiments were expressed before Quinn and Rachel reached them. As soon as it was clear Rachel saw them the two rushed over to the club. "Hello fellow glee clubbers! Mr. Schuester I feel I must ask if this establishment is vegan friendly?"

It took Will a moment to get over his shock and answer Rachel, "Yes, I made sure their was options for everyone."

"Wonderful! Come one Quinn, I'm starving!" As Rachel and Quinn passed everyone else and headed inside, it seemed to jolt the others out of their shock and into following them in. "Ooh! Quinn! They have a vegetable wrap that sounds fabulous! What are you getting?"

"Bacon. Mmm."

"Quinn! How could you!"

"I'm sorry but I need it to live."

As the two continued to argue over the pros and cons of carnivorism, the others were still shocked. "I'm sorry, but did Q get smashed in the head and get a concussion that is confusing her perception of reality? Or is this some serious twilight zone experience?"

"Santana, be nice. They look so happy together!"

"That's the problem B, Q is never happy near man hands. This needs explanation and Q needs a dose of reality."

Just farther away Puck was expressing his twin thoughts on the latest developments. "You two aren't going to get _any_ if those two are half as close as they're acting! I just hope they'll let me in on a threesome."

"This is so wrong."

"I know it is. You might have turned two of the hottest girl in school off of guys and onto each other. Says something about your abilities compared to the Puckinator."

As Finn tried to punch Puck for his jibe, Kurt and Mercedes were looking very smug while standing with Mike and Tina.

"Okay, so you were totally right. If I didn't know better I'd say that I thought they were dating."

"Told you. Our matchmaking skills are unparalleled. Now that they are split for a moment I have work to do."

Kurt quickly made his way to the section of the counter that served the lines making sandwiches and found Rachel waiting in line. "So, I see things have changed quite a bit since this morning."

Rachel turned and smiled, "Hello Kurt. Yes, my relationship with Quinn has seemingly grown by leaps and bounds since our sleeping mishap this morning."

"Willing to admit that you have feelings for a certain blonde yet?"

Kurt knew he hit the jackpot when Rachel blushed. "I won't deny that I have had feelings of hope that we could have a deeper relationship, but I won't raise those hopes in the face of Quinn's upbringing and lack of ever showing a preference for those of her own sex."

"How will you know what might be if you don't go for it?" At Rachel's lack of response Kurt began to sing under his breath.

_There you see her, _

_Sitting there across the way,_

_She don't got a lot to say,_

_But there's something about her,_

_And you don't know why,_

_But you're dying to try,_

_You wanna kiss the girl_

Rachel looked across the restaurant to where Quinn was ordering her bacon cheeseburger. Quinn caught her eye and they shared a smile.

_Yes, you want her, _

_Look at her, you know you do,_

_Possible she wants you too,_

_There is one way to ask her,_

_It don't take a word,_

_Not a single word,_

_Go on and kiss the girl_

Rachel was finding it harder to justify in her own mind why she wouldn't just go for it. If Quinn could get over spooning in their sleep and her personal version of a wet t-shirt contest, then if it didn't work why wouldn't they be able to keep their friendship? But if she did lose this new friendship she didn't think she would ever get over it.

_Sha la la la la la,_

_My oh my,_

_Look like that your too shy,_

_Ain't gonna kiss the girl,_

_Sha la la la la la,_

_Ain't that sad?_

_Ain't it a shame?_

_Too bad, you gonna miss the girl_

"I don't know Kurt, I don't want to ruin this."

"You'll never know what could be if you never try."

Even though it made sense, Rachel wasn't sure that if she and Quinn were meant to be something more that it wouldn't be Quinn who would make the first move.

**A/N:** Okay, I got all my negative feelings for Special Education out of the way in my St. Berry oneshot, which let me write this as a happy chapter, rather than the angry mess it would have been if I didn't get through writing that. Still hoping that that the second half of season 2, can bring back the positive characterization that most characters, namely Quinn and Santana, had in the second half of season 2, compared to the first 3 episode cruel for no reason knock offs that they have once again become.


	6. it's a small world Grimgrinning Ghosts

**Title:** Real Magic- Chapter 6

**A/N:** I am really pushing it starting this chapter when I should be writing my last term paper and getting ready for finals. But, I seemingly can't help myself, so we'll see how much I get done before I have to work on other things. Don't know when this is going to be up, so many apologies if it has been a long time.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, the Walt Disney Company, or anything that both entail within.**

Will was skeptical at first that there was any way that Figgins primary goal for sending them on this trip would be fulfilled. Trying to work through Sue's antics and bring the Cheerios and the Glee kids closer together was like trying to mix oil and water while fighting an angry bear. Even if he made attempts at accomplishing the goal, Sue was likely to attack in the middle.

But then he was handed a gift that he would never have imagined, even if the two groups had come together. Quinn and Rachel were becoming friends. His reaction to this was the same as many of the kids: there is no way this is really happening.

And why would they expect it? Quinn and Rachel's history was a monstrous example of high school rivalry and bullying. From Quinn's initial hatred of the school loser as head cheerio, to their fights over Finn's affection, and Rachel's actions as the one to reveal the true father of Quinn's pregnancy, it was a tale of hatred that he didn't think they could ever overcome.

But he was watching the proof of their friendship throughout lunch. The two were constantly talking, joking, laughing at every possible instance. And it was perfect for him. If the head Cheerio and the heart of Glee were best friends, then why couldn't they work together to bring the clubs closer? The trip couldn't have worked better so far.

He still had to worry about the bear though. If Sue caught wind of the new friendship, who knew what she was likely to do. He was thankful that he hadn't seen his co-chaperone since the night before, but he knew she could turn up at any time and ruin all of the girls' progress. It was dawning on him that he now had something to do while the kids were having fun: keep Sue from finding out about Quinn and Rachel until it was too late to stop the Cheerios and Glee from coming together.

While Will was contemplating how to deal with Sue, Rachel was watching Quinn in horror. "How could you?"

"It was highly necessary."

"Necessary? Are you really trying to tell me that ordering _extra_ bacon on your Turkey _Bacon_ Wrap was necessary?"

"…Yes?" At Rachel's glare, Quinn tried another tactic, "Come on Rachel, you don't understand the hold it has over me. Just try some and you'll see."

"I can't try bacon! I'm a vegan!"

"Personal choice."

"I'm Jewish!"

"True. Worst part of living with Puck by far: no bacon."

"I can't believe you right now."

"Oh, come on Rachel, you're not really mad, are you?"

Rachel just stared at Quinn as the blonde took another bite of her wrap. "No, I suppose not. But you need to make it up to me!"

"Alright fine, I'll think of something later, right now I want to finish my bacon."

Rachel shook her head and took Quinn's bacon trance as an opportunity to look around at their teammates. She noticed that many of them were glancing over at her and Quinn very often and were probably talking about them too. She supposed that it was natural for them to be interested in their unlikely friendship, she would probably react the same way if Santana and Tina, or any other unlikely pair, were suddenly inseparable.

"Quinn, is there anything in particular that you would like to accomplish this afternoon?"

"No, not really. Why, do you want to do something specific?"

"Not one thing in particular, but there are still many different iconic rides that I would like to experience."

"Alright, I think Mr. Schue is probably going to talk to us before he lets us all go."

Sure enough within a couple of minutes Mr. Schuester got up to address the teens. "Hey guys, I hope everyone had a good lunch. While you guys were all running around this morning I was dealing with the concierge and setting up reservations for meals throughout the week. We have one tonight at 6:30 at the Crystal Palace, so you guys can do whatever you want and I'll see you then."

As soon as Mr. Schue finished the club began to disperse in various directions. "So, Rachel, anything nearby that catches your eye?"

Quinn turned to find Rachel's face hidden behind her park map. "Well, the spinning tea cups are right here, but I would imagine that to be a ride best left for a less than full stomach. I would suggest we reverse our course from our trip here earlier and do those rides that we saw on the way."

"Sure, that should let us get to most things here before dinner." Quinn offered Rachel her arm again, which she took, and they headed back towards Fantasyland. "So what would be first on this trip of ours?"

"Well, I think the obvious choice would be the Dumbo ride, it's right around the corner."

Quinn looked highly skeptical, "Isn't that a little childish for us?"

Rachel took Quinn's question with offense, "Quinn! I want to ride all of the classic rides before next Sunday."

"Okay fine, but that's still eight days away."

"Just because we have a good amount of time left in these eight days, does not mean we should procrastinate. Now come on!"

Quinn chuckled as Rachel tried to pull her along, but wasn't as strong as she was. "It's not procrastinating to walk like a normal human being, now slow down or I will have to slow you myself."

"Fine," Rachel slowed to Quinn's speed.

"Stop pouting." Quinn looked down to find Rachel still looking upset. "Come on, we're right here anyway."

Quinn was right as they walked around a left turn and found the ride straight ahead in the center of a large courtyard, where the ride sat out in the open.

The sight brought a smile back to Rachel's face, "Alright, we can walk the rest of the way. But, only because it's right there. We still have a lot to do today."

Quinn smiled back, "I have no doubt you'll keep us on track to get everything done."

The two walked around to the entrance to the line and entered waiting behind the majority small child crowd. "We look so out of place here."

"Quinn, you said you'd ride with me."

"And I'm doing just that. There is no reason why I can't point out the obvious when I was right about it."

"You might be right, but I want to ride this ride, so who cares what anyone else thinks of our age?"

"Ya." Quinn felt her own comfort grow at Rachel's confidence. "You know it's really amazing how you believe in what you're doing, no matter what anyone else thinks."

"Well I've had years of practice." Despite how innocent Rachel meant the words, she knew that Quinn would take it the wrong way; that she would think it was a comment about her.

Quinn was taking it as badly as Rachel hoped she wouldn't. She was thinking back on all of the times she had bullied Rachel, how they told her she wouldn't amount to anything, or how they would single her out because she was different and wouldn't conform, how they tried to pull her down because she was going places that they would only dream about. And through it all she had endured and come out stronger, into the amazingly talented and beautiful girl standing next to her. But, she was right. She had had lots of practice at it, and it was her fault.

Rachel could see the sadness in Quinn's eyes and tried to backtrack as fast as possible. "Quinn, I didn't mean anything by it. I was just saying, that, yes, people have questioned my beliefs and I stand by them, but it had nothing to with what you did to me in the past—"

"Yes, it did." Rachel tried to respond but a downcast Quinn continued, "I know you didn't mean it negatively Rachel, but the truth is, you can't deny that I was at the head of those who made you feel bad about yourself, and you couldn't possibly think of them without thinking of me."

Rachel didn't know what to say to convince Quinn that she was wrong about her feelings. The two remained in silence through the rest of the line, and as Rachel climbed into their elephant, it seemed as though Quinn tried to remain as far from her as possible. Rachel still enjoyed the simple circular ride and enjoyed moving their elephant up and down, but she was brought down afterwards by Quinn's still depressed mood.

When they got off of the ride Rachel had seen enough of Quinn's new state to drive her into action. "Come here!" Quinn looked completely shocked as Rachel dragged her away from the ride and into a corner on the side of the courtyard.

"Rachel, what are you doing?"

"I've seen enough of your pity party! Yes, Quinn you were one of my biggest tormentors. And, yes, it hurt when you insulted me and my dreams for years. But—"

"Rachel…"

"But! I've gotten over it and you need to too. We had our problems over Finn, but since then we've been cordial to each other, in a very pay no heed to the other's business way. And today you have frankly been kinder to me, and a better friend than anyone else I have ever had my own age. So get over what you did in the past, cause I already have!"

Quinn stood in shocked silence for more than a minute before she responded, "You can't just expect me to get over how horrible I've been to you just because you say it's okay."

"And why not!"

"Because I can't accept that! I was so horrible to you and now you just say that was okay if I'm nice now? It shouldn't work that way! I should be apologizing every minute of every day to make up for what I did. You didn't deserve what I put you through and I should have to make up for it."

"You have been making up for it, every minute today that you've been nice to me has been making up for it, and that's all I will ever ask of you."

Quinn appeared to be on the verge of tears. "I don't deserve your forgiveness."

"You're going to get it anyways, because I like you too much to give up being friends with you after today."

Rachel stumbled backwards as Quinn threw her arms around her. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry for everything."

"Hey, it's okay Quinn. But, I would ask if you could cry quickly because you and I still have a lot to do."

Rachel could feel Quinn laughing against her, "Okay." Quinn pulled away and wiped her eyes, "So what next then?"

"Oh. Yes, next, let me see." Rachel pulled out her map and buried her face behind it, "Well Mickey's PhilharMagic is right across the way, and from my pre-trip research it sounded like a show that would be enjoyable. You know, because it's a musical."

"Sounds great." Quinn was slightly surprised when Rachel held out her arm for her, but gladly hooked hers through. The walk over was extremely brief and they soon found themselves in a spacious blue lobby, waiting to enter the theater.

"Quinn! Rachel!" They were both surprised to see Brittany and Santana across the lobby heading over towards them.

"Hi, B, S."

"Hello, Brittany and Santana."

"Q, dwarf."

"Rachel isn't a dwarf."

All three turned to Brittany in confusion of her sticking up for Rachel to Santana. "Yes, she is Brit."

"No, there are seven dwarfs, Doc, Happy, Sleepy, Grumpy, Dopey—"

"Different type of dwarf Brit."

"Oh." It took Brittany just seconds to get over the news. "Are you guys here to see the best show ever too?"

Quinn and Rachel shared a look. "Best show ever?"

"Yes! Me and Santana have watched it five times today!"

Quinn and Rachel were equally confused, so Santana elaborated, "The show stars Donald Duck."

Brittany started nodding vigorously, "Yes, he is an angry duck, but he is so funny. And he's 3D!"

Quinn smiled at Brittany's enthusiasm. "Sounds fun B."

As Quinn was entertaining Brittany, Santana got a good look at Quinn's face and noticed her puffy, red eyes and tear streaks on her cheeks. Jumping to her first logical conclusion she grabbed Rachel by the front of the shirt. "What the hell did you do to Quinn?"

"What?"

"I asked you a question!"

"Santana!" Quinn pushed the Latina back and positioned herself in front of Rachel, "What are you doing!"

"Finding out what she did to make you ball your eyes out! Don't deny it, she is the only person you've hung out with all day long, she had to have done something."

"Rachel did nothing to me, so I don't appreciate you accusing her of something you don't even know the cause of."

"Why are you protecting that troll?"

"Don't! Don't call her that! Come on Rachel." Quinn directed the smaller girl away from her two Cheerio teammates. When they reached the other side of the lobby Quinn turned to Rachel, "I'm sorry she did that 'on my behalf.'"

"It's fine Quinn. I realize that she is your friend and is probably just worried for you. You don't usually cry and you don't usually hang out with me, so it is logical to think I might be the cause. And truthfully I was the cause."

"No you weren't. My terrible past behavior was the cause, you have done nothing but been great to me all day long, and you don't deserve having Santana attack you."

"Yes, well, I am thankful that you stood up for me in the face of her anger."

"That's what friends do right?" The doors opened and the two found seats in one of the front rows. They watched as the show opened with Donald Duck stealing Mickey's sorcerer hat and consequently losing said hat through various musical scenes of classic Disney movies. Passing through Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Peter Pan, The Lion King and Aladdin, the show ended with Mickey regaining his hat and restoring order to the show.

Quinn watched as Rachel regained much of the joy that she had been showing earlier in the day. After the show Quinn hooked her arm with Rachel's, "So, did you like the show?"

"Yes, very much. I thought that the cross referencing of the various movies was very well connected and the special effects really added to the performance."

"Good. I like it much better when you're smiling and having a good time."

"Me too. Which is why I have a great idea for our next ride."

Quinn was a little surprised, as they just exited the theater. "Really? Which?"

Rachel simply pointed across the way and Quinn almost groaned at what she saw. "it's a small world? Are you serious?"

"Of course Quinn. it's a small world is an iconic, happy ride, with one of the most memorable themes of all time."

"Most annoying theme of all time is more like it." Despite trying her best to whisper under her breath Quinn could see that Rachel had heard her from the look of outrage on her face. "Come on, Rachel, that song is a whole days worth of headaches as it is repeating over and over again in my head."

"Quinn, the song, despite not being a very artistic composition, is catchy and fun and a part of the greater experience of the ride. Now, do not force me to drag you with me."

Quinn could see the determination in the brunette's eyes and knew she wasn't going to get away with not riding with Rachel. "Fine. I'll go with you. But I want to hear no complaining later if I insist on a ride and want you with me."

"Deal! Let's go!" Rachel agreed to Quinn's proposition without thinking through all the possible implications of what Quinn could force her to do. She was simply happy to convince Quinn to do something that she wanted and the blonde didn't.

Crossing through the foot traffic they jumped into line, where Quinn could hear the music and was beginning to regret her decision. She supposed that watching Rachel acting like a kid on Christmas as she danced to the song made up in some ways for the punishment she knew she would endure all day long.

It didn't help Quinn that the further into the line and closer to the boat they got, the louder that the song became. Rachel could tell that Quinn was trying to ignore the song despite the fact that she agreed to go on the ride so she decided to try and make the song appeal to Quinn in another way. "You know, Quinn, this song is in many ways similar to us."

"_What?_" Quinn was not expecting to be compared to what was quite possibly one of the songs she found most unbearable in the world. "What do we have in common with puppets?"

"The song is sung by many different types of people on the outside, but they all realize that they are the basically the same, and that the world isn't that big. Just like how we are so different on the outside, but have far more in common than we previously thought."

Quinn couldn't really argue with her logic when she said it that way. "Alright, fine. We have some similarities to the song, but that doesn't mean I have to like it."

Rachel just smiled back as they came to the front of the line and prepared to enter their boat. Rachel climbed in first as Quinn followed still somewhat reluctantly. They passed under the ride operator, who they could see in his little tower above them. The boat took a left and passed into the main portion of the ride.

As the ride started the song immediately rose to levels that could no longer possibly be ignored. Quinn tried to ignore it as they passed puppets that represented Great Britain and France, but Rachel began singing along.

_It's a world of laughter, _

_A world of tears,_

_It's a world of hopes,_

_And a world of fears,_

_There's so much that we share,_

_That it's time we're aware,_

_It's a small world after all._

They continued along the ride passing puppets from Ireland in their green and shamrock'd section, the Dutch with windmills and clogs everywhere, Spain portrayed by Don Quixote, the canals and riverboats of Venice for Italy and the Alps of Switzerland, before they passed through another short tunnel.

_It's a small world after all,_

_It's a small world after all,_

_It's a small world after all,_

_It's a small, small world._

Coming out of the tunnel they were greeted with the sights of puppets that represented India with elephants and tigers, and the many countries of the Middle East, which soon became China and pandas, before they once again passed through a short tunnel.

_There is just one moon,_

_And one golden sun,_

_And a smile means, _

_Friendship to every one,_

_Though the mountains divide,_

_And the oceans are wide,_

_It's a small world after all._

The next short room they passed through showed represented the whole of Africa, with a riverboat for Egypt and many toes of wildlife, like Lions, Rhinos, Giraffes and more, before the next tunnel.

_It's a small world after all,_

_It's a small world after all,_

_It's a small world after all,_

_It's a small, small world._

They come out next to a small scene of Antarctica with penguins, which was followed by the countries of Latin and South America, with mariachi bands and sombrero clad dancers. This led straight to a scene of the Amazon rainforest, with exotic animals and fake rain everywhere, followed by puppets from Hawaii, Australia and the rest of the countries of the Pacific.

_It's a small world after all,_

_It's a small world after all,_

_It's a small world after all,_

_It's a small, small world._

They finally came to the last room where all of the various countries puppets were brought together in one room and were all wearing white to show their unity as a global community. Then they entered the exit tunnel which was decorated by signs that said goodbye in more languages than the two could recognize.

Finally the boat passed under a bridge and pulled back into the dock. Quinn followed Rachel out of the boat, glad that the ride was over. Unfortunately as they walked out on the bridge they had just passed under, Rachel kept singing the theme song. "Please don't keep singing the song Rachel."

Rachel turned and began walking backwards, "Why, Quinn? The song has greatly improved my spirits."

Quinn sighed. She was grateful that Rachel had gotten over their fight about her behavior, and Santana's meltdown, but she couldn't deal with the song for much longer. As they left the ride and walked to their right, Quinn had a stroke of genius and came up with a plan to end the theme of 'it's a small world,' and to get a small measure of revenge, while still getting closer to Rachel.

"Okay, but since you chose 'it's a small world,' I get to chose our next ride."

"Certainly, Quinn, I agreed that you could chose a ride at some point. What would you like to do next?"

Quinn smirked as they walked through an underpass between two buildings that marked the end of Fantasyland, and led into Liberty Square. Quinn stopped them and pointed to their right, "I want to ride that next."

Rachel followed Quinn's finger and turned pale. She sounded shaken as she asked, "Are…are you sure that _that_ ride is your choice?"

"C'mon Rachel, it's a fun ride with a catchy theme song all its own."

"But it's called the _Haunted_ Mansion, Quinn. It does not sound like the most enjoyable ride experience."

Quinn laughed at Rachel's reluctance, "It's just a name, it's not _actually_ haunted. Besides I'll be there the whole time."

"Okay." Quinn offered Rachel her arm and led her toward the line, feeling proud of herself for the fact that Rachel's acceptance only came after she promised to be with her.

Everything was going smoothly as they moved through the line, until the regular sounds of the park were cut off by a loud howl that emanated from somewhere beyond the mansion.

"Quinn, what was that?"

Quinn saw how jumpy Rachel was getting and they weren't even inside yet and felt a twinge of regret at her revenge for 'it's a small world' plan. "It's just a sound effect, Rachel, don't worry about it."

Rachel didn't seem to calm a great deal at her words, so Quinn put her arm around the shorter girl's shoulders in an attempt to comfort her. It seemed to work as Rachel smiled at her, and they continued through the line until they were almost to the doors that had been opening and closing to allow people in. Quinn remembered something from her childhood and looked over to her left.

"Rachel, look!"

Over to the left were a group of headstones that had various rhymes on them. "Dear departed brother Dave, He chased a bear into a cave? Here lies good 'ol Fred, A great big rock fell on his head? Really? These rhymes are atrocious."

"C'mon Rachel, they're kinda funny."

Rachel shrugged under Quinn's arm, "I suppose they are mildly amusing, but they continue the morbid mood that this whole ride has portrayed so far. I have heard no catchy theme song."

"It's coming, just wait for it." As Quinn finished talking the door opened and they were ushered into a room with a portrait hanging on one wall. As they moved through toward the next room the portrait aged until all that was left was a skeleton.

"Quinn, that is not amusing in the least!" Before Quinn could answer they were ushered into another room with different portraits around the exterior. As they entered they heard a voice speaking to everyone.

'_Welcome! Foolish Mortals, to the Haunted Mansion, I am your host, your ghost host. Our tour begins here, in this gallery. Here where you see paintings of some of our guests, as they appeared in their corruptible, mortal state. Kindly step all the way in please, and make room for everyone. There's no turning back now...'_

As they stood around the room began to stretch and reveal more of the paintings. "Quinn…?"

'_Your cadaverous pallor, betrays an aura of foreboding, almost as though you sense a disquieting metamorphosis. Is this Haunted room actually stretching? Or is it your imagination, hhmm? _

They watched as all of the portraits showed scenes of the original figures in life-threatening situations.

_And consider this dismaying observation, this chamber has no windows, and no doors. Which offers you this chilling challenge, to find a way out! Of course, there's always my way...'_

The lights suddenly shut off to reveal the shadow of a figure that had hung themselves from the rafters, followed by a high pitch scream and a clap of thunder. When the lights came back on Rachel was as pale as a sheet and shivering and Quinn was beginning to get worried. "Rachel, are you okay?"

Quinn didn't really have time to answer as they were swept into the crowd going into the loading dock.

'_Oh, I didn't mean to frighten you prematurely, hhmm. The real chills come later. Now, as they say "look alive", and we'll continue our little tour, and lets all stay together, please.'_

It took little time before they were swept into the moving line at the loading area and were forced to get into a car. Rachel seemed slightly better, but Quinn was worried that she had seriously miscalculated with this one. "Rachel, are you okay?"

"O…of course, Quinn, why wouldn't I be?"

Before Quinn could continue their 'host' continued to speak to them. _'Do not pull down on the safety bar please; I will lower it for you. Heed this warning; the spirits will materialize only if you remain quietly seated, at all times. Oh yes, and no flash pictures please, we spirits are frightfully sensitive, to bright lights.'_

Their car moved along into the main portion of the ride and entered a hallway full of paintings that changed to horror versions as they passed until they reached the next room, where they were confronted by busts that seemingly followed them as they moved through the room.

'_Our library is well stocked with priceless first editions, only ghost stories of course. And marble busts, of the greatest ghost writers, the literary world has ever known.'_

They moved past a piano that was playing itself as Quinn continued to worry about Rachel, and their guide continued to speak.

'_They have all retired here to the Haunted Mansion. Actually we have 999 happy haunts here, but there's room for a thousand. Any volunteers? If you should decide to join us, final arrangements, may be made at the end of the tour.'_

The buggy began to rise, passing by stairs that went in every direction, and then entered into a hallway with doors all around.

'_We find it delightfully unlivable here in this ghostly retreat, every room has wall-to-wall creeps, and hot and cold, running chills! Ssshhh, listen…'_

They passed down the hallway with multiple things going on around them but Quinn took the moment of silence to try and talk to Rachel, who was still white and shaking. "Rachel, talk to me, please!"

"It's nothing, Quinn, I am just not fond of things that are intentionally frightening."

"Then why did you let me take you on this ride?"

"Because it was your choice and you agreed to go on 'it's a small world' me."

Quinn felt sick to her stomach that she had done this. She knew that Rachel didn't like horror movies, but felt that this would just be the amusing look on haunted houses that most people found it, just slightly more scary for Rachel. She didn't think that Rachel would turn into a terrorized mess leaning against her side.

They entered a room that had a crystal ball and various floating musical instruments and objects flying around the room. They watched as a woman's face was in the crystal ball and was reciting words to a séance.

_Serpents and spiders, tail of a rat,_

_Call in the spirits, wherever they're at._

_Rap on a table, it's time to respond,_

_Send us a message from somewhere beyond._

As they left the séance room they passed onto a balcony overlooking a party scene when their host rejoined them.

'_The happy haunts have received your sympathetic vibrations, and are beginning to materialize. They're assembling for a swinging wake, and they'll be expecting me. I'll see you all, a little later.'_

The ball scene seemed to calm Rachel down more than somewhat, which brought great relief to Quinn. Their short trip through what seemed to be an attic also didn't make Rachel appear any worse, which Quinn took as a good sign, especially as she recognized that they were about to enter the graveyard scene, where the theme song was sung. She knew if anything could lift Rachel's spirits it was music.

They turned and rode down into the graveyard where they passed an old man and his dog, before the song really began.

_**When the doors creak and the tombstones quake,**_

_**Spooks come out for a swinging wake,**_

_**Happy haunts materialize,**_

_**And begin to vocalize,**_

_**Grim-grinning ghosts come out to socialize.**_

They passed different scenes of the ghosts partying throughout the graveyard, and as Quinn hoped the music seemed to get Rachel back closer to her regular self.

_**Now don't close your eyes and don't try to hide,**_

_**Or a silly spook may sit by your side,**_

_**Shrouded in a daft disguise,**_

_**They pretend to terrorize,**_

_**Grim-grinning ghosts come out to socialize.**_

They finished passing through the graveyard and Quinn was happy to hear Rachel humming along to the song as they entered the last hallway of the ride.

'_Aaahh, there you are! And just in time, there's a little matter I forgot to mention, beware of hitchhiking ghosts! They have selected you to fill our quota, and they'll haunt you until you return.'_

Passing by the mirrors Quinn was shocked to hear Rachel laugh at the fact that the 'hitch-hiking ghost' was sitting on top of her. The buggy pulled up to the unloading dock and they made their way out to the front of the mansion. As soon as they got out Quinn was ready to apologize however she could for her plan.

"Rachel, I am so sorry that I made you go on that with me if it made you so upset. I never would have picked it if I had known how bad it would be."

"It's alright Quinn." Before Quinn could interrupt, Rachel continued. "I chose to ride with you because I promised you I would, and I don't regret it. I may have numerous problems with purposely terrifying movies and theme park rides, but I am going to work past them. Besides the theme song was rather catchy."

Quinn was stunned by how much Rachel had changed in her demeanor in just a few minutes at the end of the ride. "Okay, I'm still sorry though."

"I will accept your apology if you would lead me to a ride that you feel would be an amusing change of pace before we are forced to meet our fellow Glee clubbers for dinner."

Quinn smiled as Rachel linked their arms and waited for her to respond. "I know just the ride then."

It was a short walk to the end of Liberty Square, where they ended up on the almost strip-mall-esque portion of Frontierland. About halfway down Quinn led Rachel through an underpass that led right into the heart of Adventureland. Quinn continued across the marketplace and down a short flight of steps. Rachel could now see where Quinn was taking her, as the moved quickly to the entrance of the Jungle Cruise.

"I approve of your choice Quinn."

"Really?" Quinn asked with amusement as they got on line. "How do you know this isn't twice as terrifying as the Haunted Mansion?"

"Quinn you forget that I spent most of my free time leading up to this trip researching, and I know that this is supposed to be an amusingly corny ride."

"Yes, it definitely is." Quinn helped Rachel climb down into the boat and followed her in. Quinn was paying little attention to the guide as they pulled out into the river, and was instead thinking of her and Rachel, and their relationship.

It was almost surreal to think about how far they had come in a day. Leaving school yesterday she had been still hiding how she felt for Rachel behind a mask of anger and insults, and now they were practically inseparable. She had also thought that Rachel was terrified of her still, and that there was no chance Rachel would want to be friends with her. But now everything was new and different, and it brought another idea to the front of her mind as Rachel continued to laugh at the terrible jokes.

Their new friendship brought the possibility of expressing her real feelings to the forefront. It was beginning to seem that there was no real reason to not at least go for it. If Rachel turned her down there was no reason to think it would end their friendship. Rachel was very open to homosexuals, and was still friends with Finn and Puck, despite both of their feelings toward her. Which was probably a point in her favor in itself, that she had such bad experiences with boys in Jesse, Finn and Puck.

And if her feelings were returned Quinn knew she would be happier than she had been in a very long time, possibly ever. It was clear that the pros were outweighing the cons, but Quinn was lost as to _how_ she should approach Rachel with her feelings.

Quinn was so lost in her thoughts that she only caught the last of the lame jokes as they were pulling into the dock. "Please exit the boat the same way you entered... pushing and shoving."

Quinn climbed out and helped Rachel follow her, but was still thinking about how she ought to tell Rachel about her feelings. They still had a good amount of time left before dinner so they were walking at a leisurely pace for a few minutes before Rachel got concerned by Quinn's silence.

"Quinn, is something wrong?"

"Hmm?" Quinn seemed to snap back to reality and answered with a smile, "Everything is fine, I was just spacing out a bit."

"Okay. Are you excited for dinner?"

"I don't know, I don't really know what type of place this is."

"It is a buffet Quinn, I imagine that there are many different types of food available to choose from."

They passed over the bridge from Adventureland, back towards the central hub of the park. "I guess you're right. Where is this place anyway?"

Rachel turned right and pointed, "It's right there Quinn." Across a second little bridge there was clearly the restaurant they were looking for tucked into a corner between Adventureland and Main Street.

"Ya, I guess it would be the place that is almost entirely made of glass." They walked toward the front of the restaurant to find that only Mr. Schuester had arrived before them. "Hi Mr. Schuester."

"Hello girls, are you having a good day?"

"Yes, it has been wonderful so far! I am so ecstatic that Principal Figgins allowed for us to go on this trip!"

Will laughed at how excited Rachel was, "That's good, I'm glad you two are having fun."

Rachel and Quinn sat down on a bench near Mr. Schuester to wait for the rest of the group to arrive. They saw Finn, Sam, Puck and Artie coming first and watched as Puck came over and dropped onto the bench next to them. "So, since when do my hot mama and my favorite hot Jew hang out with each other all day?"

"Since I need to fulfill my Jew quota and I don't want to go anywhere near you."

"Ouch, baby mama, that hurts."

"Noah, not that it is any of your business, but does it matter why Quinn and I have decided to enjoy each others company?"

"I guess not, I was just wondering when the two of you are going to start making out?"

Rachel and Quinn both turned identically slight shades of red before Quinn flipped out on him, "Puck, you are a disgusting pig. Go away before I hurt you."

"No problem, baby mama. I'll just let your former boy toys know that you two are just buddies then, ya?"

Before either could respond, Puck had hopped up, and moved over to the other guys, leaving a pissed Quinn and worried Rachel behind him. Quinn had no intention of having to deal with Sam while she was coming up with a way to get Rachel to fall for her, and Rachel couldn't think of how to let Finn down if he came after her again.

While they were dealing with Puck's aftermath, Brittany and Santana both came walking up to the restaurant. They were both surprised that Santana was walking straight towards them looking worried. "Hey, Rachel, look I just wanted to apologize for yelling at you earlier. I didn't know what happened and I shouldn't have blamed you, so sorry."

Both Rachel and Quinn were too shocked to respond right away, but Rachel came around first. "Thank you, but your apology isn't necessary Santana. I understand why you assumed something was wrong and do not blame you for your reaction."

Santana just nodded and turned to Quinn, "I'm sorry I made assumptions about you too, Q."

"It's alright, just don't do it again." Quinn smirked at the Latina's look of shock at her ordering her around.

Before Santana could retort Brittany, who was suddenly very happy, interrupted her. "Yay, now everyone is friends again and we can hang out. Santana sit down next to Quinn." Santana did as Brittany asked and sat in the third seat on the bench, before she quickly found Brittany sitting in her lap.

"Thanks B, I didn't realize I was a seat."

"But it's so much more comfortable here than sitting on a bench."

"Fine, B." Quinn and Rachel couldn't help but chuckle at Santana's forced attempt at seeming annoyed.

"So, did you end up spending the entire day at the same show, or did you two end up doing anything else?"

Santana just rolled her eyes, "What do you think, Quinn?"

Before Quinn could make fun of Santana for being completely and totally whipped, Mike and Tina had arrived and Mr. Schuester was ushering them all inside the restaurant. They were seated at a long table where Quinn and Rachel ended up on one end with Brittany and Santana and Kurt and Mercedes. After the waiter took their drink orders they all went to see what food was being served on the buffet.

As they were selecting food, Rachel noticed an oddly sad look on Quinn's face. "Is something the matter with the food, Quinn?"

"There's no bacon."

The seriousness and hurt in Quinn's voice almost made Rachel feel terrible for her friend, but the problem she was lamenting was just too absurd for Rachel to bear. "Quinn, you ate bacon with breakfast and bacon on your wrap at lunch. How much bacon can one person consume in a day? You are single handedly leading to the slaughter of pigs."

"There aren't even any bacon bits as a part of a salad or anything."

"Quinn! Did you hear anything I said?"

"Yes…I just really want some bacon…" Rachel huffed and walked away to examine the vegan options on the buffet. "Rachel, I was kidding! Don't walk away!"

Quinn followed Rachel back to their table and sat next to the brunette who was deeply interested in her salad. Rachel decided to focus on her meal and make Quinn realize she didn't appreciate being ignored by ignoring her back.

It didn't take long for Quinn to apologize to Rachel. "Rachel, I'm sorry I didn't listen to your bacon rant, but I need it to survive."

"Quinn, I have a hard time believing that you require bacon to function as part of your body's homeostasis."

"Okay, not literally, but fairly close."

"Quinn, I accept that you do not share my beliefs in regards to food and veganism, however, I will not feel bad about you being deprived of bacon, a food that requires an animal's death to be created."

"Fine." The rest of dinner was filled with occasional small talk as everyone shared what they did for the day with each other.

It wasn't until they had all finished that Mr. Schuester stood up to address them all. "Okay, guys, it's 8 o'clock right now and we need to be up early tomorrow to get to round 1 of our competition, so everyone needs to be in their room by 11. I know that there is a parade in an hour and fireworks in two, so if you want to stay for those that's great and if you want to go back to the Beach Club and rest because you're tired you can do that too. Whatever you decide I'll be doing room checks at 11, so make sure you're back by then."

As the rest of the club began to split off and head in different directions as they left the restaurant, Quinn turned to Rachel and asked, "So, what do you want to do for the rest of the night?"

**A/N: Okay, chapter 6 is finally done. I know it was a very long break, but finals got in the way and left no time to do any work and then I came home and got distracted by family and friends. Updates should be far more frequent from now on and on a more regular schedule. Thanks for sticking around despite the wait and for any and all reviews. Merry Christmas everyone!**


	7. Main Street Electrical Parade & Wishes

**Title:** Real Magic- Chapter 7

**A/N:** Sorry for delay, A/N at bottom has my reasons and apology.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, the Walt Disney Company, or anything that both entail within.**

"So, what do you want to do for the rest of the night?"

Rachel turned to Quinn and contemplated what she wanted to spend the rest of their night together doing. The sun had set hours earlier and left her looking out at the park and across to the castle as both were beautifully lit in the darkness. It was a fairly easy decision based on the sight in front of her what she wanted.

"I would very much prefer to remain to watch the parade and the fireworks with you, if you are willing to stay with me?"

"Of course, Rachel," Quinn smiled and looked down at her smaller companion, "You don't think that I'm going to ditch you now, do you?"

"No, I suppose not." Feeling Quinn's arm wrap around her shoulders put a smile on Rachel's face as they crossed back from the restaurant towards the castle. It took just a couple of minutes for the two to reach the central circle of the park. Rachel felt Quinn hurry her along through the crowd that was beginning to mill, until they reached a bench on the right side of the circle, right in front of the castle.

"What's the rush, Quinn? We still have three-quarters of an hour before the parade begins?"

Quinn laughed before answering, "Come on Rachel, I thought that you read a bunch of guide books before coming here? If we didn't get a seat now you'd be standing the whole time behind a bunch of ten year olds who are taller than you."

Rachel was offended by Quinn's explanation. "There is no way that I am shorter than a ten year old! I find your description of my stature to be highly inaccurate and offensive."

"Okay fine. I guess you're more like a twelve year old."

Rachel was about to deliver an angry retort, when she noticed that Quinn was attempting not to laugh. "Quinn! I do not appreciate jokes about my height, no matter how good natured they are."

"Is argyle off-limits too? Because if you keep wearing those sweaters when we get back I won't be able to help myself."

"This isn't fair! If we're friends you can't keep making fun of me, because I have no comebacks to your jokes."

Quinn stopped laughing, as she felt simultaneously terrible that Rachel lacked the self-confidence to make fun of her, and flattered that Rachel didn't think she had any flaws. "Okay, that's not true. There are plenty of things that you are better than me at that you could tease me about."

Rachel scoffed, "Singing is the only thing that you could possibly be referring to, as there is nothing else that I am good at."

"Not true! You are first in our class and you have a 4.0 GPA! How could you not be proud of that?"

"You're second with a 3.96, Quinn. 0.04 doesn't exactly give major bragging rights."

Quinn had hoped that she wouldn't have remembered who came after her as long as she was first. "Okay, so that wasn't the best example. Although it does let me come clean that part of my hostility towards you was from the fact that you always ended up first every semester, while I was stuck in second."

"Really?" Rachel was shocked to hear this confession from Quinn. "I know it's probably wrong, but that actually does make me feel a little better."

"Good to know that beating me makes you feel better."

"No it's no that. It's just…you've always been someone that I've envied because of how great you are at school, cheerleading, popularity. It's just surprising to think you would have envied anything about the least popular girl in school."

It astonished Quinn how Rachel's last sentence was spoken honestly and without a hint of understanding how people truly felt about her. "Rachel, everyone in school envies you. It's why most of them are so horrible to you; they don't know how to show their envy any way other than slushy facials and insults on your MySpace page."

"Quinn what are you talking about? I'm short, annoying, talk too much, dress horribly, and don't know how to interact well with kids my age. What is envious about that?"

"Honestly, when you say it like that you're right, it's not an envious picture." Quinn hurried to continue before a confused Rachel could interrupt, "But you need to look at all of the good things, Rachel. You are the smartest and most talented girl in our entire school, plus you're much better looking than most girls, despite what you give yourself credit for. You are going places in life, Rachel, places none of us can follow. That's why people are envious of you."

Rachel felt herself tearing up at what Quinn was saying to her. "Do you really mean that?"

"Of course." Seeing that Rachel was getting emotional at being complimented, Quinn decided to make the conversation more personal, and related to their own blossoming relationship. "Before my pregnancy and before I gained a whole lot of maturity, I was jealous of everything that is going to get you out of Lima. But now that I've grown up I see how petty it was of me to take it out my jealousy on you. Especially when those things make you such a great person to be around."

Rachel was shocked, and more than a little touched that Quinn would admit to being jealous of her. "I was jealous of you too, obviously. With your popularity, and having so many friends, and having a boyfriend, you had everything I wanted, but couldn't have. But after everything you lost last year I realized those things are transient, and what really matters is what you were really like."

Rachel could see that it hurt Quinn to think about the previous year, and that she was hanging onto what she would say next. "And I realized that underneath the tough exterior is a kind, mature girl who was willing to give up everything she had to give birth to a baby that she knew she had to give away. After last year I saw that you are probably among the most amazing people I've ever met."

Rachel didn't expect Quinn to pull her into a crushing embrace, nor did she expect to feel wetness soaking her shirt where Quinn's face was buried in her shoulder. "Thank you, Rachel." It was hard for Rachel to hear the mumbling coming from the blond as she stroked her back. "You don't know how much that means to me."

As they pulled apart Rachel returned the watery smile that she saw on Quinn's face. "Yes, I do. What you said means the same to me."

Rachel felt as though something had changed in the air between them, after their confessions of mutual respect and like for each other. They were still close from Quinn's hug and she couldn't help but look into Quinn's hazel eyes and notice that they were focused on her own. She couldn't help the flutter of nervousness in her upper stomach as Quinn began to move slowly closer to her. Her eyes flickered briefly to Quinn's soft looking lips and couldn't help but imagine how nice it would be to taste them. Rachel felt herself moving closer to the blonde, felt Quinn's warm breath on her lips as they hovered just centimeters from her own, and felt an indescribable need to close the distance—

"Hey! It's my two favorite mamacitas getting close and personal! And you've got an extra seat for Puckzilla, perfect!"

The interruption caused the two girls to jump, and separate from the extremely intimate position they had been in. Thankfully Puck and Artie, who he was pushing along, had come up behind Quinn and hadn't seen how _close and personal_ the two had been.

"What do you want Puckerman?" Quinn was ready to strangle the boy as he sat down next to her. She had been _so _close to kissing Rachel. The moment was perfect and her damn baby daddy had to ruin another part of her life. She had no guarantee that she would have another chance like this again, and no guarantee that Rachel wouldn't think that what almost happened was a mistake and avoid her for the rest of the trip.

"Chill, baby mama! Me and Artie been looking for a place to watch the parade, and look, a seat for me right here with my favorite girls, room for Artie to roll up next to the bench, it's all good."

Rachel saw the anger behind Quinn's eyes, even if Puck didn't, and intervened before she took his head off. "Of course, Noah. Quinn and I would be glad to sit with our fellow Glee Club members."

Unfortunately, despite her good intentions, Rachel's saving of Puck only reinforced Quinn's feeling that Rachel was already regretting what almost just occurred.

_Internally_ Rachel felt much the same as Quinn did, with regards to Puck's interference with their near miss. She didn't know whether Quinn had attempted to kiss her because she liked her, or if it was a spur of the moment mistake. She truly hoped that it was the first one, but also wasn't sure how to find out which was the truth.

"So, what is up with your little BFF show today? Everyone knows that you two hate each other."

Quinn and Rachel shared a look as they both noticed the overly curious looks on the faces of both Puck and Artie. Quinn took charge and answered, "We got to know each other better than we had before and realized that sometimes you have to look a little deeper before judging someone."

Rachel nodded, "Yes, Noah. We came to the realization that we are very similar and get along well together, so there was no reason to be unnecessarily hostile to each other."

Puck got the general gist of what they were saying and shrugged, "Hey, I won't be the one to complain about you two being friends. I can't speak for Finnessa though, that's on you two to deal with."

Both girls frowned as the thought of Finn's possible reactions passed through their minds.

The thoughts quickly passed as the lights around their area of the park began shutting off and they could see the parade moving closer to where they were sitting. They first saw dancers dressed as fairies pass through the street to a highly synthesized soundtrack. It only took a few seconds for them to hear a synthesized voice over the loudspeakers.

_**"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, **_

_**Disney proudly presents our spectacular festival pageant of nighttime magic **_

_**And imagination in thousands of sparkling lights and electro-synthe-magnetic musical sounds. **_

_**The Main Street Electrical Parade!"**_

Following the dancers came the floats of the parade which greatly varied as they passed by. Starting with a two-car train, the second of which was a giant drum with Disney's Electrical Parade written in lights on the side, the parade followed with various bugs and insects from Alice in Wonderland. The music changed along with the floats, switching to various synthesized versions of that movies music. Alice in Wonderland was followed first by floats from Cinderella in her carriage, and then a pirate ship with Captain Hook and Smee from Peter Pan.

Next came Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in mine carts and in a faux cave digging for diamonds, succeeded by Pinocchio at the carnival. The parade began to wind down as there was a giant float of Pete's Dragon, and then the finale, which was an incredibly long float depicting the American flag spread over drums, with soldiers marching along either side and fireworks made of lights going off above, leading to the stars of the flag being held by a large Bald Eagle at the end of the float.

"_**Disney's Main Street Electrical Parade!"**_

As the parade passed by and the lights began to turn back on the four found themselves clapping enthusiastically for what they had just seen. "I found that to be quite enjoyable! What did you think Quinn?"

"Ya, I thought it was fun." Quinn did enjoy herself more than she was putting forward, but as she tuned out Puck and Artie's responses she was focused on getting Rachel alone again in the half-hour before the fireworks started. Just as Quinn was beginning to get frustrated because she had no good ideas, she felt Rachel lean against her slightly and noticed that the smaller girl was shaking.

It was a late November night and it was getting colder, but it hadn't passed through Quinn's mind that it might be a problem since she still felt okay. However, this presented her with the perfect opportunity to get away with Rachel and try to take advantage of being alone. "Hey, Rachel, do you want to come with me over to the stores on Main Street? I'm getting kind of cold, and I'm going to buy a sweatshirt."

Rachel looked at Quinn as the blonde began to stand from the bench and suddenly realized how cold she really was. "Yes, Quinn, I would be delighted to come with you as I am also cold and would enjoy going on a 'shopping trip' with you."

Quinn couldn't help but smirk a little as she turned to Puck and Artie, "Bye boys." Wrapping her arm around Rachel to ward of the cold, she led the brunette toward the stores that line both sides of Main Street. Quinn tried to walk swiftly to get Rachel out of the cold as soon as she could.

As soon as they reached the first stores on Main Street they ducked into Casey's Corner, and headed through into the clothing section of the Main Street store. It was much warmer inside, so Quinn dropped her arm from around Rachel, which seemed to green light the diva to run around looking at everything in sight.

Quinn smiled at the antics as she looked around quickly for a cute sweatshirt. To save time she picked a simple, white sweatshirt with the logo of each park and the year on it. When she was done she looked around for Rachel, but couldn't seem to find her anywhere. She finally saw a small figure trying on a pink sweatshirt that was obviously multiple sizes too big across the store.

Walking over she continued to look around but figured that the hooded figure in front of the mirror must have been her. "Rachel?"

Quinn watched the small, pink clad girl turn around and she couldn't help the laugh that escaped at the frontal view of Rachel. The sweatshirt was _huge_; completely covering her arms with inches to spare, the hood shadowed half of her face, and the bottom came down to mid-thigh. "Hey, Quinn! What do you think?"

Quinn still couldn't help the laughter that bubbled up as she looked at Rachel. "Uh, it's a little bit big, don't you think?"

Rachel frowned slightly and shook her hands out of their sleeves, "Ya, but I like this one and this is the smallest they have."

"Do you want to look in the kiddie section?" At the glare she received Quinn had to laugh again, "Okay, fine. I'm just letting you know it looks a little silly."

"I don't care. Now hurry up, we don't have long before the fireworks!" Quinn watched her companion run towards a register and hurried after her before she was left behind. It didn't take long for them to pay for the sweatshirts and to head back out to the middle of Main Street, where Quinn noticed that people were already gathering for the fireworks.

This was not good for her plan as she saw Rachel ahead of her heading back over to where they had been sitting before with Puck and Artie, and noticed that Finn and Sam had joined the two. This was not at all what Quinn wanted to be dealing with right now, so she hurried to catch up to Rachel. "Rachel!" Quinn was thankful that she had turned to her and had not noticed that Finn had seen them walking towards their group and had waved her over. Wrapping her arm around the brunette, Quinn quickly turned Rachel to their right and began walking past the tables outside of The Plaza Restaurant, heading towards the mostly empty seating area of the Tomorrowland Terrace.

"Quinn, why are we moving from our previous location? I found it to be quite adequate."

Quinn tried to quickly think up an excuse other than, 'I want to get you alone to try to make moves,' or 'Because Finn is staring at you like a creep and at me like he would kill me to take my place right now.' "There's no one over here and I wanted to sit in a nice, quiet area for the fireworks."

"Oh, Okay." Quinn led them down onto the Terrace, which overlooked the circle they had previously occupied, and Cinderella's Castle. Pulling two chairs together, Quinn kept close to Rachel to share body warmth and because she liked the feel of the smaller girl against her.

It didn't take long for the opening music to start, and for the voice of the Blue Fairy to open the show.

_When stars are born, they possess a gift or two. One of those is, they have the power to make a wish come true._

Following the Intro the music began, with a young girl's voice singing.

Star light, Star bright, 

First star I see tonight. 

I wish I may, I wish I might, 

Have the wish, I wish tonight. 

We'll make a wish, and do as dreamers do, 

And all our wishes (all our wishes), 

Will come true.

When you wish, upon a star 

Makes no difference who you are 

Anything your heart desires will come...to...you.

The opening occurred during the singing with small fireworks going off behind the castle, until the narrator, Jiminy Cricket, began speaking.

_Pretty, huh? I'll bet a lot of you folks don't believe that, about a wish coming true, do ya? We'll I didn't either. Course, I'm just a cricket, but lemme tell you what made me change my mind. You see, the most fantastic, magical things can happen, and it all starts with a wish!_

With the last word the crowd went up in awe as an illuminated Tinkerbelle flew from the tallest tower of the castle across the open night sky to just above where they were watching the fireworks. This led to the true beginning of large fireworks, conducted to the backdrop of Jiminy and other Disney characters making their own wishes.

If your heart is in your dreams,

**(CINDERELLA) I wish...I could go to the ball**

**(SNOW WHITE) I'm wishing...someday, my prince will come**

No request is too extreme,

**(ARIEL) ha-ha. I wish...Ohh...I wish I could be part of that world**

**(PETER PAN) I wish...we'd never have to grow up. Off to Neverland, ha-ha**

When you wish upon a star, As dreamers do.

**(PINOCCHIO) Look Jiminy, someday I wish I could be a real boy**

**(ALADDIN) Genie, I wish for your freedom**

Wishes.

_You know, any wish is possible. All it takes is a little courage, to set it free_

This led into the music of I Can Go the Distance from Hercules, which Quinn gave Rachel a slight squeeze during, and a mid-show finale. After a few seconds Jiminy continued.

_A wish is a powerful thing, especially when it comes from the heart._

Fate is kind. 

She brings to those who love, 

The sweet fulfillment of their secret longing.

_Like a bolt out of the blue, _

_Fate steps in and sees you through. _

_When you wish upon a star, _

_Your dreams...come true. _

_Ha-ha. _

_Sometimes, wishes can be granted in the most unexpected ways._

As great as what they had seen so far was, the next segment was so choreographed with voice-overs and music, that it blew them away.

**(GENIE) Whoa! 10,000 Years can give ya such a crick in the neck. Hello people, up here, come on, we've got some wishes to grant!**

_Uh oh, now don't worry. Just remember, always let your conscience be your guide. _

_Let your conscience be your guide…let your conscience be your guide…_

**(Evil QUEEN) Slaves in the magic mirror, come from the farthest space. Through wind and darkness, I summon thee. **

**Let me see thy face. **

**A blast of wind, to find my fate. **

**A thunderbolt, to cast my spell. **

**Alas, grant me my wish as well. **

**HaHaHaHaHa**

This led into another intersection by Jiminy Cricket.

_You know folks, you gotta be careful what you wish for around here, or you'll get yourself in an awful mess. _

_But just when things look bad, fate steps in to see you through. _

_We'll I'll be, it's the Blue Fairy_!

_Remember, we must always believe in our wishes, for they are the magic in the world. Now, let's all put our hearts together, and make a wish come true._

Finally the music began again and with it came the finale of the show.

Star light, star bright, 

First star I see tonight. 

I wish I may, I wish I might, 

Have the wish, I wish tonight. 

We'll make a wish, and do as dreamers do,

And all our wishes, will come true.

_You see, its just like I told ya. Wishes can come true, if you believe in them with all your heart. _

_And the best part is, you'll never run out of wishes. They're shining deep down inside of you. _

_'Cause that my friends is where the magic lives_

Wishes! Dream a dream (fate is kind) 

Wishes! Set it free (she brings to those who love) 

Wishes! Trust your heart (the sweet fulfillment of) 

Just Believe (their secret longing) 

Just Believe (just believe)

Like a bolt out of the blue, 

Fate steps in and sees you through. 

When you wish upon a star, your dreams...come...true

Make a wish, and do as dreamers do (just do as dreamers do)

Make a wish! (Wishes!) 

Dream a dream! (Wishes!) 

Cross your heart! 

And your wish...will...come...true!

_Ha-ha, see what a little wishing can do?_

The show ended in a massive display of fireworks that lit up the sky in front of them, and left both Rachel and Quinn applauding and screaming for the show. At least, until Rachel forced Quinn to stop because of the possible damage they were doing to their vocal chords. The two began to gather themselves, as they knew that it was time to head back to the hotel for the night.

As they were just about to start walking Quinn decided that now was the perfect time to take a chance. "So what did you think? Is there anything that you're wishing for?"

The question seemed to catch Rachel by surprise; which combined with the intense look in Quinn's eyes and the close proximity that Quinn had moved into left Rachel stuttering without an answer, "Qu…Quinn?

"Because I've been having the same dream, and the same wishes for so long that I don't think I can keep living without making them reality. And after this entire day, and night, and especially that last show, in this place, I can't think of any reason to not do whatever is needed to make my dreams come true."

And before Rachel could say anything, Quinn closed the distance between the two of them and pressed her lips against Rachel's. As Quinn relished in the bliss that she felt immediately, she worried when she got no reaction from Rachel. On the verge of heartbreak, Quinn began to pull away, "I'm sor—"

Quinn felt Rachel's hands in her hair pulling her back down to the smaller girl, and back into a far more passionate kiss. Quinn reciprocated with fervor, cupping Rachel's face with her hands, trying to pull them as close together as was possible. Neither could tell how long they were together as it felt like an eternity of bliss before they had to come up to breath.

Quinn rested her head against Rachel's and whispered, "That was better than my dreams."

Rachel couldn't help her small laugh at Quinn's statement. "Reality usually is." Rachel briefly closed the distance and kissed Quinn again, before standing up straight and pulling herself together. "As wonderful as this is we need to get back to our room, and frankly I believe we need to have a conversation as well, wouldn't you say?"

Quinn was disappointed that they couldn't just continue their current activities, but knew that Rachel was correct. "Okay. I guess you're right."

Quinn wrapped her arm around Rachel's shoulder's, but had to chuckle when Rachel put on the massive hood of her sweatshirt. "What?"

"Your hood is a little big for you, but don't worry, I think it looks cute." Quinn could easily see that Rachel was quickly turning red when she ducked her head into the hood away from Quinn's vision. They began to head out from where they were and headed towards the majority of the crowds as they moved down Main Street towards the buses.

It took longer than walking in to make it back to the Train Station because of the crowd, and as they passed underneath to the exit gates they could see it would be a problem with the buses too. Making their way to the Bus Stop for the Beach & Yacht Clubs, Quinn and Rachel could see that there was quite a bit of a line built up, waiting for a bus. Looking around as they got into line, Quinn noticed that they were not the first Glee Club members to arrive.

At the front of the line were Artie and Puck because of Artie's need to be loaded on first. Not far behind them were Finn and Sam, and Quinn couldn't help but notice that Finn was looking at them with suspicion written all over his face. Closer to the two of them were Brittany and Santana, but only the latter was awake as she held the sleeping blonde upright. Quinn didn't notice Mike and Tina, or Mercedes and Kurt anywhere and wondered whether they had left earlier, or if they were still making their way out behind them.

They weren't standing in line long when Rachel turned to Quinn and asked, "I believe that it would be most beneficial for us to have a conversation about our change in personal relations, wouldn't you agree?"

"Ya, but are you sure this is a conversation you want to have here, right near everyone from Glee? Or we could wait until we get back to find some time alone?"

Quinn saw Rachel's eyes dart to Santana and Finn before she nodded, "Yes, you are correct. This would best be something between us first, before we share with others."

The bus came shortly, much to the delight of all those waiting in line. However, as Artie was being loaded on his wheelchair, Quinn began to worry whether there would be enough room for everyone on the bus. Thankfully as they got near the front Quinn could see that there should be enough room for herself and Rachel. It was only as they got on the bus that Quinn realized that her estimation was just slightly off.

There was one single seat left on the bus. Thankfully it was at least a small distance away from everyone else, because Quinn didn't want to deal with questions after what she did next.

Without waiting for Rachel to say anything about the seat, Quinn turned and sat while using the arm around Rachel to pull the brunette into her lap. "Quinn! What are you doing!"

"Turning a problem into a solution." Quinn leaned forward so her mouth was right behind Rachel's ear, "You can't tell me that you're _not_ enjoying this, can you?"

Quinn got all the answer that she needed from the shiver that she felt running through Rachel, and the smaller girl's slide backwards so they were flush against one another. Quinn allowed her chin to rest on Rachel's shoulder and found that she felt far more comfortable than she could ever remember.

It wasn't until they arrived at the Yacht Club that Quinn even contemplated moving. As half of the passengers exited the bus at their first stop there were multiple seats that opened and allowed Rachel to have her own seat. She knew that they should probably separate if they didn't want to face any questions from their friends, but she couldn't help but feel happy that Rachel didn't seem to be moving away. So, Quinn resigned herself to waiting the few minutes until they reached their hotel.

When they did pull into the Beach Club Quinn was still reluctant to move until Rachel was suddenly gone. "Quinn, it is time to vacate the bus and retreat to our room for the night."

With a sigh, Quinn rose and took a supportive arm from Rachel, as she was led out of the bus, and into the lobby. Looking around Quinn couldn't help but notice that Puck and Santana were now watching the two of them; in addition to the daggers Finn was sending her way. It all came to an awkward head as they met up at the elevators to go to their rooms.

By the time Quinn and Rachel reached the elevator, the other six members of the club who had been on the bus with them were milling around waiting for the elevator. "Hey Q, Berry, you two have a good day?"

Quinn didn't like the smirk on Santana's face, but Rachel answered before she could play it safe, "Yes, Santana. Our day was a wonderful experience. How was your day with Brittany?"

"Oh, it was good, but I doubt that we gots around to as much as you two did."

Quinn was eternally grateful that the elevator arrived and the only ones picking up on Santana's innuendo were her and Puck. As they all crammed in Quinn lamented that on Rachel's other side was Finn, and that he appeared to be about to interrogate Rachel.

"So, Rach, did you really have fun today?"

"Of course, Finn. Why would you think otherwise?"

It was obvious what he was thinking to Quinn when he looked over Rachel's head at her, but the tall teen said nothing. Thankfully they reached the second floor quickly and the interrogation had no chance of going further. Quinn watched as Brittany pulled Santana out quickly and hurried to the room. The rest of them moved at regular speed and reached the doors soon enough.

"Night boys!" Quinn couldn't help but smirk at Finn and Puck as she opened the girl's door and pulled Rachel in behind her. Walking into the living room Quinn saw where Mike and Tina had gone, as the two were cuddling on the couch, watching a movie. "Hey guys, have a good night?"

"Ya, it was great," Mike answered. "Did you guys catch the same bus as Brittany and Santana?"

"Ya, but they ran here." Quinn glanced at the closed bedroom door, "Not hard to guess why." The four all shared a laugh at how obvious the two of them were about their actions. "Alright, well we're gonna get ready for bed; make sure that we're ready for tomorrow."

After an exchange of pleasantries, Quinn and Rachel entered their room to find that Mercedes was nowhere to be seen. Quinn felt Rachel pull away and watched her grab her pajamas and enter the bathroom. Quinn quickly changed herself and began brushing her teeth before Rachel came back out. Hurrying over to her bag Quinn took out her favorite DVD and set it up to watch with Rachel.

Jumping into bed, Quinn waited for Rachel to reemerge and was pleased that when she did she was wearing the same sleep clothes as the night before. Quinn would've been highly disappointed if Rachel didn't have on her tiny shorts and tight tank-top; it would've been like she was cheated out of something.

"Hey."

"Hi." Quinn watched as Rachel hesitated and seemed too nervous to join her. "You gonna join me? Or are you just gonna stand there all night?"

As Rachel crossed the room and pulled back the covers, Quinn could feel her heart begin to race in anticipation. When the brunette climbed next to her, Quinn found herself too nervous to know where to start their conversation. Lying there face to face, it seemed that neither of them could find the right words.

Of course, Rachel could never stay silent forever, "So…you _like_ me?"

"Yes…and _you_ like me."

"Yes." They fell into another silence that seemed to last much longer than it really had. "How long have you felt that way?"

"A lot longer than I was willing to admit to anyone, even myself. Back all the way to where it explains a lot of my hostility towards you."

"Oh…I will not lie to you and say that it had been that long for me, but my feelings have been growing since I saw behind your façade and saw the real you."

Quinn didn't really expect any different. "That's okay. I don't really think I have any right to expect different when my past actions are taken into account."

"But that's all in the past now, and the only logical path is to move forward."

"And where does moving forward take us, Rachel?"

Quinn watched as the brunette paused for a moment, before she continued, "Well, if you like me, and I reciprocate those feelings, I see no reason why we shouldn't adjust our relationship to reflect that."

"Are you saying that you want us to be girlfriends?"

"I don't know, do you want me to be your girlfriend?"

Quinn was enjoying the back and forth, but really wanted to make things official. "Rachel, will you be my girlfriend?"

"I would be delighted, Quinn."

Before Rachel could finish getting the words out of her mouth Quinn was closing the distance and pulling her new girlfriend in for their first kiss as a couple. The joining of their lips felt somehow more intense now that they were official, and Quinn began to let her hands explore down the sides of her new girlfriend.

This jolted Rachel back to reality, "Quinn, as much as I would enjoy 'fooling around' with you right now, we have a competition in the morning and must get our rest."

"Do we have to?"

"Yes, Quinn. We cannot let our hormones get in the way of the success of New Directions."

"Fine, but I'm gonna have to insist on cuddling with you while we watch Pirates of the Caribbean."

"I'll agree, if you concede that we must fall asleep before the end."

"Okay."

Quinn turned on the DVD player and started the movie, before she wrapped her arm around Rachel and started to play footsie as the opening scene started.

'_Yo-ho, yo-ho, a pirate's life for me…'_

**A/N: Okay, first things first, I am incredibly sorry that it has taken this long for me to update. I don't really have an excuse besides that I was on winter break and lost all sense of schedule, which is this terrible habit I have of not getting things done unless I have a strict schedule to adhere to. Getting back to school helped, but I hadn't touched this in a while and had lost some motivation, until the triumphant return of GLEE! Now I am fully motivated and ready to go, so it should be frequent and constant updates from here on out and we hopefully won't have a repeat experience. And speaking of GLEE, I have been so pleased by the first 2 episodes of the season (other than Fuinn, which is atrocious) and the fact that Rachel is back and better than ever is the best part. It finally feels like season 2 will live up to the expectations of the F13. But other than that i am back, I am sorry for the delay, and I still appreciate any reviews from those of you who have not given up on me and my terrible update patterns. Thanks, until next time.**


	8. Go The Distance & Star Is Born

**Title:** Real Magic- Chapter 8

**A/N: **Okay, this chapter is gonna start with some flashbacks to last chapter that show our favorite two from other POVs, then it's on to the first day of competition for ND and the Cheerios.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, the Walt Disney Company, or anything that both entail within.**

He had been trying to figure it out for hours, but he couldn't figure out any possible explanation for the sudden closeness of Rachel Berry and Quinn Fabray. It wasn't as though there had been any signs that they were becoming close, and they had certainly not been friends just 48 hours earlier. And even though he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, Finn Hudson could tell that something had changed between his two exes.

It was especially frustrating with the combination of the bet they made earlier, and his true wish to get back together with Rachel hanging over him, he had had no opportunity to speak to her all day. How could he win Rachel back with Quinn hanging around all of the time?

And just what exactly did Quinn want with Rachel anyway? Quinn _hated_ Rachel, and had for the entire time that they had been in school together. Even if Quinn hadn't been torturing Rachel like she used to, it was only because Quinn wasn't _as _mean after her pregnancy, not because they were friends.

Adding up all of the facts that her could comprehend at once about the situation led to Finn's seemingly random question for Sam Evans as they walked towards the middle of the park. "Do you think that Quinn is pretending to be Rachel's friend just to set her up for something?"

Finn watched as Sam just seemed confused by the question, "I don't know, bro. When I was going out with Quinn she would always talk about how she thought Rachel was annoying and that she should do something about it, but she never did."

Finn just nodded and kept walking as they entered the circle in the middle of the park. He supposed that he would have to look into it himself and find out what Quinn was planning, because he didn't trust whatever it was. He knew it was his job to stop Quinn's plans.

"Yo, Finnessa! Ladylips! Imagine seeing you here." Finn looked across the circle to see Puck and Artie sitting on and next to a bench on the side of the street.

"Hey, what are you guys doing here?" Finn was curious why the two of them were just sitting by themselves, doing nothing.

"We were watching the parade with my Baby-Momma and fellow Jew, but they ran to the shops to buy stuff before the fireworks started."

Finn couldn't have possibly heard better news with his recent concerns about Rachel and Quinn. Without checking with Sam, Finn quickly replied, "Cool, we should hang out together until the fireworks."

He was glad that he got a round of agreements, but Finn was so determined to talk to Rachel he would have stayed despite any objections. This was important to him, he had finally begun to want to get back together with Rachel and didn't want Quinn to suddenly have an influence over Rachel.

It was a took minutes a few minutes of standing around ignoring the other guys, looking down Main Street for Rachel before he noticed Rachel a few feet in front of Quinn, and both were coming back towards the bench they were occupying. Finn tried to wave to get Rachel's attention, but before she noticed she turned to look back at Quinn. Finn couldn't help the scowl that came over his face as Quinn wrapped her arm around Rachel and went off in a different direction. He knew that Quinn had seen him and was doing this on purpose.

Unfortunately there was nothing for Finn to do, as he would look like a creep if he followed them, so he watched as Quinn and Rachel settled just across the water at a table at the Tomorrowland Terrace.

He calmed down as the fireworks began and they just seemed to be enjoying them together. Finn almost began to think that maybe he was wrong about Quinn until the moment after the fireworks ended.

They were kissing.

And they didn't seem to be stopping anytime soon.

Finn was so shocked he couldn't help but get caught in the mass movement towards the exit and lost sight of the two.

It wasn't until he was at the bus stop with the rest of the guys that he saw them again. He couldn't help his staring, even after he was sure that Quinn knew that he was focusing on them.

It only got worse for Finn as they got on the bus and he had to watch Quinn sit with Rachel in her lap the whole way back.

Finn couldn't help the feelings of jealousy that raged within him. It was one thing to see Rachel with a new boyfriend like Jesse St. James, but for her to be getting this close to Quinn? The same Quinn who tormented her for years and whom she knew had lied to him for months about her pregnancy? It wasn't acceptable to Finn.

Unfortunately the two were inseparable all the way up to their rooms, so Finn had no chance to talk to Rachel at all. He ignored the sly questioning from Santana on the way up, but once he got into the room he couldn't help but vent his frustration by kicking his bed and planning to do something about it tomorrow.

* * *

Santana was enjoying the night as she and Brittany had finally stopped watching Mickey's Philharmagic and had explored Tomorrowland on the other side of the park. She had to admit that the fireworks were better than anything back in Lima, but almost everything they had seen on the trip was better than what they had in Lima.

As the show ended Santana noticed that the blonde who was leaning against her side was dozing off. "B, come on, you gots to wake up, I can't carry you all the way to our bed."

"But S, I'm tired." Santana sighed and wrapped her arm around Brittany to help the blonde walk towards the entrance. Heading from the entrance to Tomorrowland Santana decided to cut through the Tomorrowland Terrace to cut down on the distance that she had to carry Brittany. Thinking that the blonde was asleep, she was surprised when Brittany started speaking, "Aww, S, look how cute Q and Rachel are."

Following Brittany's line of sight Santana was shocked to see Quinn and Rachel wrapped in each other's arms, sucking some serious face. She was so shocked by what she was seeing that she stopped in her tracks and just watched until they pulled away from each other. Not wanting to be seen staring at the two she started walking with Brittany again, while trying to figure out what had happened in the last two days. "B, did you know about this before today?"

The blonde seemed confused, but answered, "No…but you always said that Q was a pressed lesbian."

"Repressed, B, repressed lesbian. But that's not the point, ya I knew that for years with her wandering eyes in the Cheerio locker room, but with man-hands? She just became friends with her, like today!"

"I don't know, maybe it's 'cause Rachel is hot."

"Eww, B, don't say things like that about treasure trail." The blonde just shrugged as they walked down Main Street towards the exit. Meanwhile Santana was thinking through what this new develop meant for her. Q dating man-hands put her in a vulnerable position as head cheerleader. Plus it gave her a fun, new relationship to mock and try to sabotage.

It took a little longer to get to the bus stop than normal because she had to drag B, but when she got there it was just more good news. The boys were there already and just seeing Finn told her everything she needed to know about his knowledge and feelings on Quinn and Rachel. This made Santana's day, as it was just another aspect of this situation to take advantage of.

Watching the two as they got into line and sat together on the bus definitely confirmed for Santana that the two were definitely deeply into each other. When they got back to the hotel she couldn't help but try and stir up the pot when they were all on the elevator.

"Hey Q, Berry, you two have a good day?"

Santana could tell that Quinn didn't like the question or the smirk on her face, but Santana couldn't help it. Rachel ended up answering her without seeming to realize her implications, "Yes, Santana. Our day was a wonderful experience. How was your day with Brittany?"

"Oh, it was good, but I doubt that we gots around to as much as you two did."

The elevator doors opening cut off her opportunity to play around with Quinn, but she did notice before they left that Puck had also seemed to pick up what was going on.

Since Quinn and Rachel disappeared into her room immediately, Santana decided to focus on that tomorrow, and instead turned her attention to Brittany. Unfortunately Brittany wasn't as focused as she was, "So do you think that we can go on a double date with Quinn and Rachel?"

"Oh, god B, don't talk about Q and man-hands when I'm about to get my mack on." And she didn't hear about them for the rest of the night as she attacked the blonde's mouth and pulled her into their bed.

* * *

Rachel woke up after what was possibly the greatest night of sleep in her entire life, and the pressure from behind her reminded her why almost immediately. Feeling Quinn's arm around her waist and her light breathe on the back of her neck brought back the joyous feelings of the night before and put Rachel into a state of peace.

It was easy for her to think back to the night before and remember how amazing it was to have Quinn kiss her after the fireworks and then to come back to their room and cuddle together while watching Quinn's favorite movie _Pirates of the Caribbean_. Although Rachel ended up missing most of the movie since neither girl could control themselves when it came to kissing the other, and she fell asleep before the end.

Sleep was probably a blessing in disguise, because as much as she would like to have stayed awake with Quinn, they did need their rest for today was a big day for the both of them and everyone else. In just a few hours they had the first round of the Show Choir Invitational that they had come for, and then Quinn, Santana and Brittany had to stay for the Cheer Invitational in the afternoon.

As Rachel began to mentally prepare for the morning performance she felt Quinn stirring behind her, so she turned onto her back making it possible to face the blonde. Seeing Quinn's eyes open and the small smile gracing her face, Rachel smiled back and provided a, "Good Morning, Quinn. I hope you had a good night's sleep?"

Without responding, Quinn leaned over and caught Rachel's lips with her own. As she provided her good morning kiss, Quinn moaned "Mmhhmm," as affirmation to Rachel's question. As she pulled away she continued by whispering, "Perfect."

This response made Rachel absolutely giddy causing her to turn further and lean in to attack Quinn's lips with reckless abandon.

Both were so caught up in what they were doing that they failed to see how anything could go wrong until a voice cut them off, "You know I'm happy that you two are happy and all, and I wish you two the best, but there ain't no way that I'm waking up to you two tryin' to get it on every morning."

Mercedes interruption forced the two apart and caused them both to feel highly embarrassed from getting caught by their third roommate. Not needing to continue sitting in such an embarrassing situation all three began to get ready for the day and packed their bags with their costumes and Quinn's cheerleading uniform before heading down to meet in the lobby for breakfast again.

Crossing from the Villa portion of the hotel to the Main Lobby they saw Mr. Schuester once again waiting for them on the far side near the entrance to Cape May Café. "Good Morning girls. Just head on in and make sure you eat enough so that you're ready to perform later."

"Of course, Mr. Schuester. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day after all."

"And there's all that bacon."

"Quinn!"

"What!"

"You know what! I don't mind if you eat your cruel meat, but I don't want to know about, hear about it, or witness it."

"Then we can't eat together, as there is certainly gonna be bacon on my plate."

"I wasn't being that literal!"

"I know, but you are unbelievably cute when you're so flustered and I couldn't help myself."

Rachel couldn't help the pink tinge that came over her cheeks, or the rather goofy smile that she gave Quinn. "Aw, thank you, Quinn!"

"Ugh, I can't be near you two anymore this morning, I think my teeth are rotting from the sugary sweetness."

The couple watched as Mercedes left them to join Kurt at his table. Grabbing some food, they sat at the last of their tables in the corner and began to eat. Rachel watched Quinn eat her beloved bacon as she picked at the fruit and yogurt that filled her plate.

She was snapped out of her thoughts as the blonde across the way asked, "Hey, is everything alright?"

"Hm, oh, yes Quinn. I was just thinking about our competition and trying to mentally prepare myself."

"Rachel, you're the most prepared out of anyone in the club, you'll be fine."

Rachel sighed before replying, "Yes, I suppose you're right. I just want to make sure everything is perfect, for it is the first time that we will be performing on a scale this large."

"Come on Rachel, this is you we're talking about. You are destined to be a star one day, you don't need to be nervous about one performance that you are gonna rock."

Feeling her confidence renewed, Rachel beamed and answered, "You are correct, this is merely one step on my journey to stardom; I can not be slowed down now."

They finished their breakfast in relative silence, simply sharing knowing looks every so often. As they ate Quinn and Rachel watched as the entirety of the club filed into the restaurant until they had all eaten and were waiting for Mr. Schuester to give them their instructions for the competition.

"Alright guys, in a few minutes we're going to head out to our mini-bus and head over to the competition at ESPN's Wide World of Sports Complex. When we get there we are going to a building called the HP Field House, where the competition will be held. This is the first of two days of preliminaries, so a good or bad performance today isn't the only factor in moving on to the finals. We have to bring it today, and bring it on Wednesday. You all know our set list, and we'll find out our position when we get over there. Okay?" Seeing everyone nod, Mr. Schue waved toward the exit, "Then let's go get 'em!"

Rachel followed Quinn out of the restaurant and then out of the lobby into the bright Floridian morning sun. The club quickly piled into the bus and headed out onto the road out of the Beach Club.

Sitting up in the front seats of the bus with Quinn, Rachel leaned forward to ask Mr. Schuester, "Mr. Schuester, are you sure you know where you are going this time? It would be a very unfortunate time to get lost."

"Yes, I made sure I printed directions this time and it seems that it won't take us much time at all to get there."

Relieved by Mr. Schue's preparedness, Rachel leaned back and slightly to the left so that she was leaning into Quinn. The ride was about as short as Mr. Schuester promised and they were quickly parking in what appeared to be a fairly busy parking lot. Grabbing their bags the whole team began a long looking walk up to the center of the complex.

As they made their way up the slightly uphill walkway, they came into the central hub where they were surrounded by a variety of different buildings. On their left they passed an ESPN Merchandise store that was Quickly followed by what was called Champion Stadium, where the Atlanta Braves played spring training baseball. Passed the Stadium was a Disney Clubhouse Merchandise Shop and the ESPN Wide World of Sports Grill. Finally they arrived at the single largest building around that was clearly marked HP Field House.

They followed Mr. Schuester as he led them in through a side door marked Competitors, and up to a woman standing behind a podium in the hallway they had entered. "Hello, and who are you?"

Mr. Schuester answered for the group, "We are William McKinley High's New Directions."

"Oh good, you're here. Since it's your first year here we were hoping everything would go okay."

"Yes, it was fairly easy to figure everything out."

"Okay then follow me to your green room." As the hostess led them down the hall she began to inform them of important details, "So you drew the second slot for today, which will put you second to last on Wednesday. There are 24 groups total, but only six move on to finals on next Saturday. The finalists are determined by the combined scores of today and Wednesday's competitions." They simultaneously arrived at a door labeled New Directions as their hostess finished talking. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No, thank you, we should be fine." Entering the room they found it to be a fairly standard looking green room for their level of competition, with several couches and some refreshments on a table in the back. "Okay, you guys, this is it! Time to show people from all over the country what we can do and what we'll be bringing to Nationals in the spring."

Finn was the first one to stand and agree with Mr. Schuester, "Ya, Mr. Schue's right everyone. We can do this if we go out there and give it everything we got."

The club gave a round of cheers and agreements, before heading off to change into their costumes. The slight feelings of nervousness that had been in her mind earlier that morning were creeping back up on Rachel as she finished changing and heard that the first team had just finished their performance. However as they were heading backstage in the theater-converted-arena a small smile from Quinn gave her all the confidence that she needed.

Rachel moved to center-stage while the curtains remained closed and the rest of the club remained off stage. It took a moment before she heard, "Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to introduce to you: William McKinley High's New Directions!"

The introduction finished and the curtain rose, prompting Rachel to begin their ballad.

_I have often dreamed, of a far off place _

_Where a hero's welcome, would be waiting for me _

_Where the crowds will cheer, when they see my face _

_And a voice keeps saying, this is where I'm meant to be _

Rachel put all of her negative experiences in Lima and her dreams of becoming a star in New York into her singing, and the result was an emotional performance that she personally believed she had never matched before.

_I'll be there someday, I can go the distance _

_I will find my way, if I can be strong _

_I know every mile, will be worth my while _

_When I go the distance, I'll be right where I belong _

Rachel was joined on stage by the rest of the club as they provided back-up vocals and their dance routine during Rachel's difficult solo.

_Down an unknown road, to embrace my fate_

_Though that road may wander, it will lead me to you_

_And a thousand years, would be worth the wait _

_It might take a lifetime, but somehow I'll see it through _

_And I won't look back, I can go the distance _

_And I'll stay on track, no, I won't accept defeat _

_It's an uphill slope, but I won't lose hope _

_Till I go the distance, and my journey is complete _

_But to look beyond the glory is the hardest part _

_For a hero's strength is measured by his heart _

_Like a shooting star, I will go the distance _

_I will search the world, I will face its' harms _

_I don't care how far, I can go the distance _

_Till I find my hero's welcome, waiting in your arms _

Rachel couldn't help but seek out Quinn's eyes as the lyrics became more personal, and imagined achieving her glory in life with Quinn by her side.

_I will search the world, I will face its harms _

_Till I find my hero's welcome, waiting in your arms_

Rachel couldn't help herself as she gave her best show-face smile at the rousing round of applause for her performance. However she didn't have much time to soak it in, as they had to begin their other number, and second of the day from Hercules.

Gonna shout it from the mountaintops

**A star is born**

It's a time for pulling out the stops

**A star is born**

Honey, hit us with a hallelu'

**The kid came shining through**

Girl, sing the song

Come blow your horn

**A star is born**

Their second selection was a complete group number, as members sang one line solo, followed by a chorus line. The group split the song by verse, with the girls going first, followed by the guys.

_He's a hero who can please the crowd_

**A star is born**

_Come on everybody shout out loud_

**A star is born**

_Just remember in the darkest hour_

_Within your heart's the power_

_For making you_

_A hero too_

_So don't lose hope when you're forlorn_

_Just keep your eyes upon the skies_

**Every night a star is**

**Right in sight a star is**

**Burning bright a star is born**

The upbeat nature of the gospel song allowed New Directions to do a far more aggressive set of dance moves than in the much slower first song, and helped to feature Mike and Brittany's dancing more prominently.

Like a beacon in the cold dark night

**A star is born**

Told ya everything would turn out right

**A star is born**

Just when everything was all at sea

The boy made history

**The bottom line**

**He sure can shine**

**His rising sign is**

**Capricorn**

He knew "how to"

He had a clue

**Telling you a star is born**

_Here's a hero who can please the crowd_

**A star is born**

_Come on everybody shout out loud_

**A star is born**

**Just remember in the darkest hour**

**Within your heart's the power**

_For making you_

_A hero too_

**So don't lose hope when you're forlorn**

**Just keep your eyes upon the skies**

**Every night a star is**

**Right in sight a star is**

**Burning bright a star is born**

The combination of what they felt was a great performance, combined with the rather thunderous applause from those in attendance put the members of New Directions in a fantastic mood as they took their bows and headed back to their green room to find Mr. Schuester.

It didn't take long for their director to arrive with a large smile on his face, "Way to go guys! That was great! If we keep it up we should make the finals with no problems."

This praise was responded to by a round of cheers from the club, and then a flurry of movement as everyone began to get ready for their return trip to the hotel. As Rachel began to gather her things she began to come to terms with the fact that Quinn would be spending the remainder of the day here for the Cheerleading competition, while she would be on her own for the afternoon.

Knowing that this would be the case Rachel made sure to catch Quinn's eye the next time she looked over at her and motioned for the blonde to follow her out into the hallway. Rachel led her away from their green room to avoid interruption, but not so far that they would get lost. Finding a small alcove Rachel stopped and faced the blonde, "Hello, Quinn."

Rachel watched as a smile formed on Quinn's face at her greeting, "Hi Rachel. You were amazing out there today."

There was no defense for the heat that Rachel felt was surely coloring her cheeks red. "Thank you, Quinn, you were quite good yourself."

"Thanks, Rachel." After a moments pause Quinn couldn't help but ask, "So I assume you wanted to talk to me about something."

Blush deepening, Rachel responded, "Yes, I just wanted to see you before we left and you had to stay. I am less than ecstatic at this situation."

Quinn closed the distance between the two and wrapped her arms around Rachel's waist. "I'm not thrilled either, but there isn't really anything that we can do about it." A smirk crossed Quinn's face as she continued, "Of course, I could just quit the Cheerios and leave Sue high and dry for the competition."

"No, Quinn, you can not quit the Cheerios." Rachel bent her neck and placed her head on Quinn's shoulder. "I just don't know what I am going to do without you this afternoon."

"Come on, you'll be alright. Your fellow divas will be around, and worst comes to worst you hang out with the guys for a little while until I come save you."

Rachel couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her as she pulled back to look into Quinn's eyes. "I'll hold you to that."

"You got it. And maybe when I get back we can go out and get something to eat. Just the two of us."

Rachel's heart started beating a good deal faster, "Like a date?"

"Sure, something like that. Nothing too formal since I haven't had time to set it up, but it can certainly be just the two of us."

"That sounds lovely Quinn." Rachel's agreement seemingly psychically gave both the idea to capture the other's lips in a passionate kiss; something to hold onto until they could meet again.

Unknown to the couple, two separate pairs of eyes bore witness to their actions, and both had extremely emotional reactions to the sight, yet their feelings couldn't have possibly been any different than they were.

* * *

Will Schuester could not believe what he had just seen. He was at a loss and could not even begin to understand what he was seeing.

Rachel Berry and Quinn Fabray were making out in the hallway outside of their green room.

In order to try and understand what he was seeing, Will began to try and explain _how _it could be possible in the first place. He did know that the club had a long and complicated history of relationships between its various members, even if he wasn't fully clear on all the details. And as they were clearly shown yesterday, Quinn and Rachel had certainly become at least friends in their recent history.

But when did it move past that? And how? Will figured that Rachel and Finn, and Quinn and Sam would eventually get back together at some point as they always seemed to. But this certainly changed the dynamic of the club and he wasn't sure if it was changed in an altogether positive way.

He could see various outcomes of this situation. One: Quinn and Rachel getting along brings down the rivalries in the club and everyone gets along better. Two: this relationship screws up the chemistry of the guy-girl dynamic and they are forced to deal with an angry and hurt Finn and Sam. Third: if it doesn't work out the Quinn-Rachel rivalry spirals out of control and tears the group apart. And the worst possibility: Sue Sylvester finds out and tries to elicit every negative reaction that she can from her knowledge in her attempt to ruin New Directions.

Sighing, Will re-entered the green room and hoped that things went well from the girl's decision, and started planning on how he could possibly keep this away from Sue. This trip was beginning to resemble the everyday drama at WMHS too much for Will's liking.

* * *

The other end of the hallway was also occupied by someone learning of Quinn and Rachel's new romance. However this individual did not share Will Schuester's hopeful and analytical response to the sight before them. No, Sue Sylvester felt nothing but anger and disappointment at what she saw before her.

Her Head Cheerio Quinn Fabray was making out with the miniature Barbra Streisand wannabe. At first she thought it was a horrible hallucination caused by her new horse steroids. But when it didn't go away she was ready to explode at the sight.

It was only years of training that prevented Sue from doing something rash in the moment. This was something that could be used to destroy Schuester's little club for good. Of course it would come at the cost of Quinn, but she had won without her last year, and she could do it again.

The only thing left to figure out was how to best use this information for her own good. What was the best way to destroy those budget-stealing, mouth-breathers that Schuester led?

And then it came back to her. She needed to use this to re-enact an old plan that had failed them the first time when she relied on airbags and poor Brittany to get things done. She would take out Rachel Berry. It made perfect sense. If you want to kill something you stab it in the heart.

And Rachel Berry was certainly the heart of the Glee Club, whether anyone was willing to admit it. Now she just had to decide how she could best ruin the life of one Rachel Berry.

* * *

Unaware that they had been seen Quinn and Rachel hurried back to the green room to get changed before the bus had to leave. As they snuck back in they hoped nobody noticed what had happened and as far as they could tell everyone was too busy getting ready in their own little worlds to have been aware. It took only a few minutes for them to change into their different outfits; Rachel her regular clothes and Quinn in her Cheerio uniform.

Soon enough Mr. Schuester was up and leading them out to the entrance where they finally crossed Sue and the rest of the Cheerios. "Hello, Sue, here are your girls. I trust you'll bring them back safely after the competition?"

"Please, if anyone needs to learn how to care for children it's the one of us who decided to get a perm. Q!" The blonde cheerleader snapped to attention, as her coach seemingly eyed her more than was usual. Finally she snapped, "Go get 'em ready!" Quinn nodded and led the Cheerios into the arena to warm up after one last glance at Rachel. "Well William, I'll be sure to inform you of how much I destroy the competition by when we next meet. Come on Becky!"

"Yes, coach!"

Rachel followed Mr. Schue as he led them away from Sue, back towards the bus and wondered how anyone could deal with that woman. She didn't like the last look that she was given as the coach stormed off, but she pushed it out of her mind.

Approaching the bus, Rachel began to worry again what she would do for the afternoon, as she really would prefer to have been with Quinn. She supposed that she could see what Finn or Puck was doing and hope to tag along as a friend.

She was climbing onto the bus and was about to sit in an empty seat when any plans she thought she had for herself went out the window when Kurt suddenly pulled her down next to him, with Mercedes sitting right across the aisle. "Kurt! What are you doing! Unhand me!"

"Calm down, Rachel, this is going to happen."

"What is going to happen?"

She saw Mercedes leaning across the aisle out of the corner of her eye, and turned to face her fellow diva. "Girl, you are going to fill us on what is going down between you and Quinn."

"N…nothing is going on guys, don't worry about it."

"Oh, please! My gaydar is about to explode just being around you two, not to mention some early morning activities that Mercedes happened to see. You are spending the afternoon with us, and that's that."

"But—"

"Don't worry, we'll have you back in time for Quinn's return, but until then you are ours."

Rachel wondered whether she should be worried about what was coming her way.

**A/N: Okay, another chapter down. Again sorry for the delays, between school and winter break it took a while to get to this, but it shouldn't take so long for the next chapter. And it wasn't nearly as bad as the wait for chapter 7, so we're heading in the right direction. Definitely gonna try and work in the different types of drunk at some point, but probably not for a while, as I still have a long way to go with all of the plot and actual time of their break that we have left. And hopefully this chapter shows some of that with the various groups who now know about our favorite couple, and their various schemes and feelings that will provide challenges along the way for the now happy couple. But don't worry, it won't get too angsty, and should be mostly fun and fluffy. Reviews are of course always welcome and appreciated. Until next time!**


	9. Date Night

**Title:** Real Magic- Chapter 9

**A/N: Hey, I'm back from the dead and this isn't an abandoned fic, yay! I know it's been a disgracefully long time, but there are reasons that I'll explain at the end for anyone who cares. But, on a positive note, I am back and will be working to finish this story. To make up for the wait I present a double length chapter for your enjoyment.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, the Walt Disney Company, or anything that both entail within.**

Sitting between Kurt and Mercedes when they were in full-blown gossip mode was more than a little bit frightening for Rachel. She knew just how tenacious the pair could be when they were going after the latest gossip, and didn't fancy having to on the receiving end of their attack. Unfortunately, she had already been caught by the two as she had entered the bus, and was at their, for lack of a better term, mercy.

Her interrogation started from her right, where Kurt was occupying the other seat on their side of the bus. "So, Rachel what _is _going on with you and Quinn?"

Unsure how comfortable Quinn would be with their secret getting out to the two loose-lipped people in the club, Rachel decided to downplay what had happened. "Quinn and I have come to realize that we have much in common, and are better suited as friends than as rivals."

"Girl, we're friends and if I ever woke up with you sucking my face like you were Quinn's this morning, there would be major problems."

Rachel cringed internally as she recalled their actions that morning. "That wasn't what it looked like!"

"Really? What happened honey? Did one of you trip and your have their tongue accidentally end up in the other's mouth?"

Being tag-teamed back and forth by Kurt and Mercedes was not going well at all for Rachel. "Okay, so we got caught up in a moment and kissed, that doesn't mean that anything is going on between us."

Rachel didn't like the smirk that appeared on Kurt's face. "Alone? No it doesn't really prove anything." Before Rachel could agree with his assessment Kurt continued, "But when you add it to the looks, the handholding…"

"…Cuddling together as you sleep…"

"…Spending all of your time together…"

Rachel was getting really pissed at this back and forth analysis of her relationship with Quinn. "…The fact that we _know_ that Quinn has it bad when it comes to you—"

"Alright! Fine! You caught us! Are you happy now!" It took a minute for Rachel to calm back down and notice that the two were sharing the same smile, and it was kind of creeping her out. "What?"

"Now that you've spilled, you can give us details! Come on, what's been going on between our favorite little Broadway diva and McKinley's own queen bee?"

Rachel was a little surprised by Kurt's assumption that she would share details after their badgering, but figured it was easier to give in than to fight to the end. "We are moving onto a state of going out with one another."

Mercedes got back involved by leaning in closer to their side of the bus. "Did you decide that you two were a couple?"

"Yes, we decided last night that we would label each other as such. And Quinn has promised to take me out on a date for dinner tonight."

"We will require full details when you get back, of course." Rachel had no time to respond before Kurt continued with his questioning, "So, how did this start? We obviously knew you two felt something for each other, hence our plan to force you together yesterday. We just didn't expect it to work so quickly. So, what happened?"

It took a moment for Rachel to process what Kurt was saying about setting them up together, but when she looked back it was fairly obvious with their disappearing act and the time she had spent alone with Quinn. Pushing that aside, she began with the story of the night before, "Well, we spent the whole day together, getting closer and having fun, which helped build at least the foundation of our new relationship. When it was time for the fireworks, Quinn took me to an isolated location, where we enjoyed the presentation. And then, when it was over, Quinn kissed me. And I kissed her back, and then we went to hotel room, decided to be a couple and fell asleep together."

Mercedes sighed, "How come we can't find a guy who would be so romantic?"

"Because most boys aren't capable of such sweetness. Although I wouldn't have guessed that it was in Quinn either, so maybe there is hope for us." Rachel watched as the two zoned out momentarily, before Kurt asked, "So, what is the deal with tonight then?"

"I don't really know yet. I just told Quinn how much I would miss her this afternoon, and she promised to make it up to me by taking me out to dinner."

"Well then, we will certainly have to make sure that you're ready for your big date tonight."

Rachel had an idea what she would be in for if she agreed and didn't want to get roped in. "No, Kurt that is not necessary, Quinn said it would be casual and not terribly fancy. There is absolutely no need for you two to put any extra effort into this project."

"Oh, please? Do really think a lame excuse like that is going to stop us? This is your first date with Quinn, you have to look fabulous."

"Ya girl, don't try to shut us out. Besides we got all afternoon to get this together, and we don't really have much else to do besides hang out."

Rachel was beginning to just accept that whatever Kurt and Mercedes wanted, they were going to badger her until they got it. "Fine! But, I get to say how long we spend on me getting ready. I will not spend hours upon hours on this."

"Deal. But you're spending the afternoon with us anyway."

Rachel was confused by what part of her statement Kurt missed. "Why do I _have_ to spend the afternoon with you two? There are other people around too."

"Really? Are you hanging out with Chang-squared? Or the rest of the boys, including my not-so-over-you step-brother?"

Rachel winced at the Finn situation and had to concede that Kurt's analysis of the situation was right. "You do have a point. What are we going to do after we get back?"

"Hm, I don't know. Guess we'll figure it out when we get to it."

Rachel sat back and accepted that she would have to spend the afternoon at her friends' mercy, as she had no better plan. It was very shortly after their conversation had ended that they had ended up pulling back into the entrance of the Beach Club. Rachel followed the others into the lobby, where Mr. Schuester stopped them.

"Alright guys, you did really well today so you deserve to have fun this afternoon. Since not all of us are here I'm not going to make any plans as a group and I'm going to let you guys go off to do whatever you want to do. Just stay smart and safe, and I'll text all of you at various points just to check in. Okay, have fun!"

Rachel watched as Mr. Schuester left and headed in the direction of their rooms. Shouldering her bag, Rachel turned to the other two, "So, I guess we should drop these off and then come up with a plan."

After agreeing, the three began the walk from the lobby to their rooms in the Villa section of the hotel. While walking through the hallway, Rachel saw that Mike and Tina were ahead of them and also headed in the direction of the rooms. It wasn't long before she also heard the rest of the boys following behind them.

When they got to the elevator Mr. Schue and Mike and Tina were already gone, so they waited for the next car to arrive which gave the boys time to catch up to them. Rachel decided to be diplomatic and greet them, "Hello Finn, hello Sam, hello Noah, hello Artie. What do you four plan to do for the remainder of the day?"

Watching Finn amble towards her with his dopey grin plastered all over his face led Rachel to assume that Finn's vision of the afternoon happened to feature her as its main attraction. "Hey, Rach, I was wondering if you maybe wanted to hang out with me this afternoon?"

At one point in her life this situation would have left her with butterflies in her stomach and had her heart fluttering, but ever since Quinn had kissed her the night before she knew Finn would never live up to her "leading man" fantasy. The problem was she _did_ want to keep Finn as a friend and had to find a way to rebuke his advances gently.

"I'm sorry Finn, but I have already agreed to spend the afternoon with Kurt and Mercedes discussing things of a womanly nature that I'm afraid would not interest you in the slightest."

Finn looked more than slightly confused by her reply. "But, Kurt is not a girl, so why is he going?"

Rachel was beginning to get frustrated as any other guy on the entire planet would have let it drop by now, but thankfully Kurt saved her from showing any of her building anger by cutting in. "Finn, did you happen to forget while we have been living together that I am gay?"

Rachel had to try to keep her amusement in as Finn's expression got even more confused while replying, "No, dude. I totally remember. Why?"

"Finn what do you know of the friendships of gay men based off the stereotypes upon which you often rely?"

"That they hang out with chicks and…oh…yeah. I guess that's okay then."

Rachel felt more than a twinge of anger at Finn for basically implying that he had any control over what she did, but she kept it in to maintain her good relations with the tall boy. "Thank you, Finn. I'm sure that we can get together at some other point later on in the week."

The goofy smile returned as he jumped all over the offer. "Sure, Rach that sounds great. We should definitely hang out soon!"

Thankfully the elevator arrived and Rachel hurried aboard, followed by Kurt and Mercedes, then the boys. As the doors closed Rachel watched as Puck turned to Finn, "So dude, you can totally go hang out in the arcade with us now."

"Yeah, it should be sweet."

Rachel couldn't help herself as she felt her eyes roll around at the immaturity of both of the boys she had once held interest in. When the short ride up ended, Rachel couldn't wait to get back to their room and get away from any of the boys. Following after Mercedes, they headed to their room with assurances that Kurt would follow right behind them.

Entering their room they saw Tina getting ready to leave. Mercedes spoke up first, "Hey girl, where are you off to in such a rush?"

Tina looked up smiling. "Mike is going to take me out on a walk around the Boardwalk so we can have some time for ourselves."

"Aw, that's so nice! You really are lucky to have a guy as great as Mike, Tina."

"Thanks, Rachel. So, what are you guys going to do for the afternoon?"

Rachel and Mercedes shared a look, before the latter answered, "We haven't really decided yet, but we were gonna find something to do with Kurt."

Tina had finished getting ready and was heading towards the door. "Well, I don't know what you guys had in mind, but you could always try the pool. I looked at it out the windows at breakfast and it looks really cool. But whatever you do I hope you have fun."

"Thanks, Tina." The two watched their friend head out the door before turning to each other. Rachel was the first to speak up, "I wouldn't be particularly averse to Tina's suggestion. From what I have read in guidebooks, the pool here is supposed to be the largest on the entire property."

"Really? Well I'd be down, but we're gonna have to ask our boy Kurt whether he is allowed outside for that long on his skin care regiment."

Rachel knew that Mercedes had a point on what could be a flaw in their plan, but she was excited by the prospect of the pool. "Okay, you call Kurt and convince him, while I go get changed."

Before Mercedes could protest Rachel hurried into their room to change. She was excited to wear the new bikini that she had purchased. She knew that the little, yellow polka-dot bikini was a cliché, so she had opted to go for pink instead. After putting it on, she threw on a pair of gym shorts and a t-shirt to cover up and went back out to Mercedes.

"So, what did Kurt say?"

Mercedes smiled, "He said he'll go, but that he is sitting in the shade the whole time."

Rachel laughed slightly, "Okay, hurry and change while I'll go find us some seats outside, and you two can meet me there."

After Mercedes gave her an okay, Rachel headed back down to the elevator to the lobby. Walking back towards the main lobby and Cape May Café, Rachel turned to the back of the building and went outside, before walking around to the pool. Seeing the pool for the first time was rather surprising, at it was bigger than anything they had in Lima by far.

The pool took up the entire space between the Beach and Yacht club resorts, with hot tubs attached, an area with a sandy bottom, and a large slide built to look like a large wooden ship. There were several establishments along the building-side of the pool, including an ice-cream shop restaurant called Beaches and Cream, and, unfortunately, what appeared to be the arcade.

Rachel walked to the opposite side of the pool and found three chairs near Hurricane Hanna's, the outdoor bar. She hoped that the boys wouldn't notice them on this side, as she took off her shirt and shorts to lie out and tan for a while. It didn't take too long before Mercedes and Kurt joined her and they began chatting, but Rachel couldn't help but constantly wonder when Quinn would be able to come back to her.

* * *

Quinn led her fellow Cheerios out of the gym after they finished their flawless routine. Riding the emotional high from performing, Quinn couldn't help the small smile that she was sporting as they headed to their locker room. She loved the feeling of power that she gained from their success and the fact that she was their leader. It used to be one of the very few things in her entire life that made her happy.

Until she had finally gotten what she had only dreamed for in being girlfriends with Rachel.

She couldn't wait to get back so they could go out together, but first she had to deal with Coach Sylvester and finishing her duties as Head Cheerio. Entering the locker room the team spread out and waited for whatever criticism was coming their way.

It didn't take long for hurricane Sylvester to come crashing in and start to blow their good feelings away. "That was Weak! And Sloppy! What were you doing out there, trying to ruin our reputation months before we get to Nationals! We are only in second place! This is unacceptable! Now get out of my sight and meet me on the bus in two minutes!"

Quinn began to scramble to get changed, but she was still able to pick up on the fact that Coach Sylvester was still there and had fixed her gaze on Quinn. She tried not to let it bother her, but she couldn't help but feel that there had to be some why Sue was focusing on her.

Once Sue left, Quinn was able to finish changing in peace and then organize the rest of the Cheerios. "Come on! I don't want Sue to get any angrier than she already is!"

Walking out, Quinn speedily led them to the coach bus that Sue had gotten them and headed past Sue and Becky and straight to the back. In the Cheerios, the higher up you were the further back in the bus you got to sit. Quinn took one whole side of the back row as Head Cheerio and Santana and Brittany were in the seats across from her.

Smiling at how close she was to seeing Rachel again, Quinn didn't notice the ambush before it was too late.

"Ahh!" Quinn didn't know what to do when Brittany and Santana suddenly jumped her. And it was literally jumped on, with Brittany on her lap and Santana trapping her in the window seat by taking the aisle one. "What are you two doing!"

"I don't know, Santana told me that we have to jump on you to find your blueberries. Do you have any blueberries for me Quinn?"

"No Brit, I said we needed to jump Q to find out about her and Berry. As in Rachel."

"Oh!" The blonde got far more excited. "You mean how they both like each other and how they kissed last night and…hmph…"

"B!" Quinn had put her hand over the other blonde's mouth. "Be quiet before people hear you."

"Get your hands off my girl Q."

Quinn quickly pulled her hand back at Santana's glare, not wanting to anger her while they were discussing her new girlfriend. "Sorry, B."

"It's okay, Quinn."

The quiet lasted only a second before Santana jumped back onto the topic she really wanted to discuss. "So, Q, what is the deal between you and Rupaul?"

"Don't call her that, Santana, I'm warning you now." Quinn couldn't help the anger flowing through her veins at the use of Rachel's old nickname. She knew it was an absurd thing to get angry over, as Rachel was _anything_ but manly, but the fact that she had caused all of the pain those names had brought to Rachel made her sick.

Santana could see that she wouldn't get anywhere with Quinn this angry, so she didn't push it. "Alright, Berry. What is going on between you and Berry?"

"Yeah, you guys were totally cute together last night."

Brittany's statements confirmed what she had suspected the night before about Santana seeing the two of them together. Now she had to decide what to do about the situation that would cause the least amount of problems. Deciding what she was going to do, Quinn just hoped that Santana was as whipped as she thought the Latina was.

"Rachel and I are together. Do you have a problem with that?"

"Uh, yeah, I—

"Yay! Now we can go on double dates, San!"

Quinn was thrilled that Brittany was on their side and hoped that it would curb Santana, but she knew just by looking at her friend that Santana wasn't going to let it go. "Are you kidding, Brit? When people in Lima find out they're gonna skin Q and Berry alive. I'm not going anywhere near that. I like being hot shit, and even being our best friend won't change the fact that I won't go down with you."

This was better that Quinn had hoped, as it had nothing to do with Rachel herself. "That's fine S. We haven't discussed what we're going to do when we get back, but we have been keeping it quiet here, so you don't have to worry yet."

Santana just nodded, before asking, "Do you love her, Q?"

Quinn paused at the unexpected question, and wondered what Santana's motives were. The sincere look on her best friends face lowered her level of concern, so she answered, "I think so S. I've never felt this way about any of my boyfriends before, and I really want this to work."

"Alright. I guess you and Berry are good, so long as you don't bring us down. At least she isn't as bad as fish-lips and the jolly green giant, and she'll actually push your ass to not be a Lima loser."

"Thanks, S." It did mean a lot to Quinn that Santana was okay with everything.

"Yay, group hug!" Brittany wrapped herself around the two despite all protestations that they didn't like each other that much.

"Alright, thanks B, but you two need to go back to your seats and leave me alone now."

"No problem, Q. Me and Brits are gonna gets our cuddle on."

Quinn shook her head at her best friend and how much she changed around the bubbly blonde. She was relieved that Santana was okay and wouldn't cause problems over Rachel. It would already be hard enough dealing with Finn and Sam wanting them both back, Sue hating the Glee club with a special dislike of Rachel, and the prejudice they would face when they got back to Lima.

Quinn started to feel a little uneasy from worrying about everything, so she tried to focus on the date that she promised Rachel later.

And it didn't help the rolling in her stomach at all it merely changed the reason. Quinn wanted everything to be perfect for their first date, but she had no idea what she was going to do. She didn't really remember anything specific about Disney from the one trip she took here as a kid other than the rides.

Looking at her phone she saw that it was 4:00, and figured she had maybe two hours to plan everything out. Quinn knew she was going to need help, and wondered who would be able to give it to her.

It didn't take long for the bus to pull back into the Beach Club parking lot. Quinn waited until the rest of the Cheerios had headed off of the bus before she grabbed her bag and followed Brittany and Santana. Sue was waiting for the three of them when they got off the bus. "So, I suppose you three are going to run off to rejoin Schuester's band of singing pixies?"

Quinn figured that the truth was probably the best option. "Yes, Coach, that was our plan."

"Fine! You three better be prepared for Wednesday morning. Now take your disgraceful selves out of my sight before I do something I might regret." As they scrambled to get away from the possible blow-up that could be coming, they were stopped by Sue's voice calling out, "Fun-bags, get your overly inflated self back here! Sue Sylvester needs to use you as a jumping castle."

Quinn gave Santana a look, but all she got was a confused shrug in response. "Hey Brit, I'll meet you in the room when she's done."

"Okay San."

Quinn gave an arm to Brittany and began leading her through the lobby, to the elevators. As they were walking Brittany asked, "Q? Is San in trouble?"

"I'm sure it's nothing B. You know how Coach gets sometimes. She probably just wants to complain about something." Quinn gave Brittany's arm a reassuring squeeze, as they got onto the elevator.

"Thanks, Q. So, what are you doing tonight?"

Since Brittany already knew about Rachel, Quinn decided that the truth was probably the best option. "I'm going to take Rachel out on our first date."

"Aww, Q that's so nice. What are you doing?"

Quinn winced, "I, uh…haven't really figured that out yet. I asked her this morning but I didn't really have a plan and now I need to figure something out in the next couple of hours."

"Well what did you think it would be like?"

"I just want something that I can set up quickly, but is still nice because I haven't had time to plan anything really special."

Brittany seemed to be thinking, before she asked, "Well did you have any ideas for what restaurant you want to take her to?"

"No, B, I don't have any ideas because I know nothing about any of these restaurants here. I don't know where they are or what they serve, and I can't just take her somewhere without checking a menu first because Rachel is vegan. And I don't want Sue or the Cheerios or anyone else to see us, so it has to be a place where no one will see us. And—"

"Wow, you sound just like Rachel." Quinn was somewhat relieved that Brittany interrupted her, but now watching the Dutch girl go from shocked to excited she got nervous, until, "Does this mean that Rachel is going to be like you now? Is she the new HBIC?"

"What! No B, I was just really nervous. Rachel and I aren't going to switch places."

"Oh. Well, if you need to find a restaurant, Rachel has her guidebook. She talked all about it on Friday."

Quinn knew that a guidebook would be a godsend right now, but she couldn't ask for it without giving it away. "That's a great idea B, but I can't ask for it or she'll know what I'm doing."

"I'll ask for it for you! I can call Rachel and ask for the book and then you can find the perfect restaurant to take Rachel to!"

That's a great idea, B. Can you call her right now while I change?"

* * *

Rachel was floating along in the pool enjoying the sun when a shadow appeared above her blocking the wonderful heat. Opening her eyes she saw Mercedes standing on the edge of the pool trying to speak with her, but nothing made sense with her ears under the water.

Standing up, the water rushed out of her ears and returned the use of her hearing, allowing her to make out what Mercedes was trying to say, "Your phone has been ringing for the last few minutes, you should probably answer since they just keep calling."

Pushing herself out of the pool, Rachel could feel the water running of her skin and tried to shake as much off as she could before reaching her phone. Hoping that it was finally Quinn, back from her Cheerios competition. She was disappointed to see the name came up as Brittany S. Pierce, until she realized that it could still be Quinn-related and hurriedly answered.

"Hello."

"_Hi, Rachel, It's Brittany!"_

The enthusiasm of the blonde was contagious, even over the phone, and left Rachel smiling. "Hello, Brittany, is there a particular reason why you have contacted me this afternoon?"

"_Oh, yeah! We just got back and I was wondering if I could borrow your Disney book, so I could look for something to do with San tonight?"_

"Sure Brittany, it is on the top of my luggage." If Brittany was back that meant Quinn was too, and she had to ask, "If you and Santana have returned, does that mean that Quinn has returned as well?"

Rachel could hear the blonde chuckle before she answered, _"Totally. She's getting changed to come see you." _This surprised Rachel, as she wasn't sure how Brittany knew that Quinn was coming to find her. She was about to ask a probing question when Brittany spoke again, _"I am so happy for you two! You guys are such a cute couple. Can me and San go on a double date with you guys?"_

Now Rachel was thrown. It was clear Brittany and Santana knew about her relationship with Quinn. This was beginning to be an awfully kept secret. "Thank you, Brittany, I'm sure Quinn would be amenable to a friendly double date with you two. May I enquire as to how you ascertained that Quinn and I established a relationship?"

"…_What?"_

Rachel sighed before cutting down on her language, "How did you learn about us?"

"_Oh! Me and San saw you guys making out last night. It was hot."_

"I see." Rachel figured she would have to talk to Quinn about the fact that forty percent of their friends had already discovered that they were dating. "Well, would you please tell Quinn that I am down swimming in the pool, and would be happy if Quinn came to join me."

"_Cool, I'll tell Quinn when I go get the book. Thanks Rachel!"_

"You're welcome, Brittany. And thank you for getting Quinn for me."

"_No problem, Rachel. I'll see you later. Bye!"_

"Bye, Brittany."

Putting her phone back with her stuff, Rachel couldn't help the excitement she was feeling waiting for Quinn. Unfortunately the moment was dashed as she saw the boys leaving the arcade from across the pool. Not wanting to be seen, Rachel dove in and swam behind some rocks.

It did worry her that Brittany and Santana knew. Brittany may have been happy about it but she did have a tendency to speak without putting a nano-second of time into her thoughts. And Santana frankly hated her, and probably wasn't above using her to damage Quinn's reputation.

She couldn't even be sure about Kurt and Mercedes, with their overwhelming need to gossip were likely to tell people without much thought in whether they truly should.

And she certainly didn't want any of the rest of them to find out.

Mike and Tina: Not too bad, but Mike _was_ a jock and when push came to shove he might feel a need to tell Finn or Sam.

Artie: Was a nice guy most of the time, but would definitely tell the rest of the guys.

Puck: More likely keep their secret, but the lewd looks and comments she could do without.

Mr. Schue: Was a wildcard, who would either be happy they were finally getting along, or upset that they had ended up choosing someone other than Finn or Sam.

Sue: Would probably throw Quinn off of Cheerios again.

And last but not least Finn and Sam: Would probably throw a fit that their exes were together, and not with them.

Rachel couldn't help but feel that their relationship was more complicated than any she had ever been in before. She hoped that the drama that would undoubtedly surround them within the Glee club wouldn't do any harm to what she found to be one of the greatest things that had ever happened to her.

She hoped Quinn would hurry so she could get out of this state of mind, and just enjoy her new girlfriend.

_Girlfriend._ Rachel smiled and continued to float around the pool.

* * *

Quinn was trying to decide whether she should get dressed up for their date now or wait until later, when Brittany bounced into her room. "I talked to Rachel!"

"What did she say?"

"She said I could borrow the book! Oh, and I told her that I knew."

That wasn't good news, Quinn had hoped to break that to Rachel herself so she could convince her it wasn't anything she had to worry about. "How did she take the news?"

"She got kind of quiet for a minute. It was weird, 'cuz Rachel is, like, never quiet. But then she said for you to meet her at the pool."

"The pool?" Quinn felt herself heat up at the thought of Rachel in a swimsuit, wet and dripping… with the material clinging tightly… God she felt like one of the boys, but couldn't bring herself to care. All she wanted was to get outside "Okay, I'm going to meet her there, but first we need to figure out this dinner thing."

"Right, I'll get the book!" Quinn watched Brittany float over to Rachel's suitcase and open it up. Quinn tried not to pay attention to what Brittany was doing, as it felt like snooping through her girlfriend's things and she didn't know how comfortable Rachel would be with that less than a day into their relationship. Unfortunately Brittany wasn't about to let her off when she spoke up, "Hey Q! Look!"

Quinn tried to speak but no words would came from her gaping mouth. Brittany was holding up what at first looked like a flimsy piece of black cloth, until she used her other hand to hold up the other side of what she could now identify very clearly.

It was a thong. Rachel's thong. Rachel's thong, that had _I'm a Star_ written on the front right above a gold star. It took several seconds for Quinn to get use of her voice back, but when she did she was practically shrieking, "B! Put that down! Now!"

"C'mon, Q, you totally want to see Rachel in these!"

Quinn didn't think her face could get redder than it was right now. She couldn't deny what Brittany said, but she needed to focus on the task at hand. "Just get the book!"

Putting Rachel's underwear back, Brittany grabbed the book and brought it to Quinn. "So what are you going to look for?"

Quinn started flipping to the section on restaurants. "I don't really know. I'm going to look at the hotels that are around the boardwalk near us and try to find something that's close, but still far enough away that no one will see us."

Quinn flipped through the hotels she knew were around them and decided to look at the Yacht club first since it was directly next-door. "Alright, Yacht Club, let's see, we have Ale and Compass Lounge; no I don't think so. Beaches and Cream, which is an ice cream place, so—"

"There's an ice cream restaurant?"

"Yeah, B it says it's right near the pool."

Brittany's face lit up, "San is totally taking me for ice cream later!"

"That sounds great B." Quinn smiled at how happy her friend was at the prospect of ice cream with Santana. "Okay next we have the Captain's Grille, that sounds intriguing. Let's see American cuisine, casual dining, and it has some vegetarian options, this sounds perfect."

"That's good Quinn, now you can have your date with Rachel!"

"Thanks, B." Quinn was extremely grateful that Brittany was such a good friend and had really helped save her ass tonight. "I'm going to change and then head to the pool, so I'll see you and S later."

"Okay, have a good time tonight Q"

Quinn gladly returned the hug that Brittany wrapped her in. Once the blonde bounced out of the room, Quinn began to look through her luggage before she found the swimsuits that she had packed. Quinn had decided to bring both a one-piece and a bikini since she didn't know what would make her most comfortable. She had gotten back in great shape after the pregnancy, but she was extremely self-conscious about her stretch marks.

Quinn guessed it must have been that good mood she was in since getting together with Rachel, when she decided on her red bikini. Quickly changing and throwing on a blue beach cover up, Quinn made her call to the Captain's Grille and set up her reservation for two.

Having finished everything she needed to get done, Quinn headed through their kitchen and out of their room. She was just through the door when her good mood hit an abrupt wall.

Right next-door about to walk into their room were Puck, Artie, Finn and Sam. Quinn knew it would be her luck that they would be there at the exact moment that she chose to leave. It didn't help her mood when Finn and Puck pushed Sam in her direction, and the boy sauntered over with a smirk on his face.

"Hey, Quinn."

"What do you need Sam?"

Quinn guessed she must have sounded really harsh with the way that the boy's confidence seemed to fly out the window. "I was, uh, wondering what you were doing later, 'cuz we could, like, hang out or something?"

"Look, I'm sorry Sam, but I already have plans tonight, and I need to go."

"Oh, Okay. Maybe some other time then?"

"Ya, maybe."

Quinn headed past the boy who looked like he was related to her and made a beeline for the elevator. She _did_ feel bad for how short she was with the boy, but she had a goal and she would be damned if anyone got in her way right now.

Of course once the elevator opened and she saw the look on Santana's face, her one-track mind was derailed. She hadn't seen her friend look so upset or conflicted in a long time. "Hey, S, What's wrong? What did Coach say?"

Quinn knew she had lost any chance of reaching the emotional side of her friend, when Santana put her bitch face back on and responded, "Nothing is wrong Q. Don't worry about it."

As Santana shouldered past her Quinn saw her shoulders slump back down and knew that Sylvester had done something and she only hoped Brittany could get her to open up.

As the elevator reached the lobby Quinn headed straight to the back and out into the sunny courtyard that led towards the boardwalk around Crescent Lake. But Quinn wasn't interested in the boardwalk right now as she had a very specific goal to reach, thus leading her to make the right turn to the pool.

Quinn's first impression was that she was going to have to take 15 minutes just to find Rachel in the huge, winding pool. Standing on one end of the pool, she figured it would make sense to try and walk the perimeter. Heading to the right side, Quinn walked along between the pool and the outside of the building, where she was able to see Brittany's ice cream parlor.

Reaching near the middle of the pool, Quinn saw that there was a bridge that passed over the two sides and she figured it would be the perfect spot from which she could try and get a better idea of where Rachel was.

From the middle of the bridge it didn't take her long to see Kurt and Mercedes sitting on the opposite side from where she had come, and looking around it didn't take long to see Rachel.

She was floating on her back, looking so peaceful that Quinn could almost imagine that she was asleep. Her hair was splayed out around her head, giving her an ethereal quality. When Quinn's gaze moved down she couldn't help how much she was heating up. Rachel's bikini was tiny and only highlighted the fact that Rachel's elliptical workouts did wonders and provided her with a perfectly toned and quite frankly amazing body.

Quinn had to force her eyes away and make her way over to Mercedes and Kurt. She hardly heard any greeting from either of the two, but she mumbled out a brief, "Hi," before she removed her cover up and slid into the pool to make her way over to her girl.

* * *

Rachel continued to float around and was beginning to get impatient. She knew that she couldn't really get mad at Quinn for not running to her the moment she got back, but she did think that Quinn would at least _want_ _to_ come down to see her.

It was coming to the point where Rachel was beginning to get insecure about how much Quinn liked her, when a pair of arms appeared beneath her and held her under her head and the back of her knees. Opening her eyes she felt all of her worries float away with the rest of her thoughts as she gazed into the beautiful hazel eyes of one Quinn Fabray.

"Hey there, gorgeous."

Rachel felt her heart seriously palpitate, and her signature full-blown smile break out across her face. "Hi."

Rachel watched as a sly smirk crossed Quinn's face. "I give you gorgeous and all I get is a hi, hm?"

"I am finding myself rendered speechless around you."

And the smirk widened. "Oh, I leave the great and _verbose_ Rachel Berry speechless, do I?"

"Yes, I am finding it very difficult to describe the beauty that you possess, or the way that it makes me feel."

"Really? And do you think there is a remedy to this situation?"

Rachel loved how she felt lying in Quinn's arms, flirting like they had been together for _much_ longer than they had. "Yes, I believe so."

"And what would that remedy be Dr. Berry?"

"I would have to prescribe time together, as often as possible, with plenty of affection shown. Oh, and you can't forget physical interaction."

Rachel watched as Quinn pulled her tighter against the blonde's body, and lowered her head so their noses were barely grazing. "Physical interaction, huh?"

"Yes, that part is essential."

"Then I guess we should get to it right away then, don't you think?" Quinn had moved closer again so their lips had taken the place of their noses in the grazing department.

"Yes." It was too much for Rachel to resist anymore as she closed the distance with abandon, crashing her lips against Quinn's. She was so impassioned that rational thought flew from her mind, and was replaced by an insatiable need to get closer and learn everything she could about Quinn physically. Her tongue was out of her mouth begging Quinn for permission that was instantly granted.

Rachel felt herself getting lost in the heat and tingling that was coursing through her when, "Wow, you two are showing a lot of discretion right now for a supposedly secret couple."

Rachel really did like Kurt, but she could honestly say that at the moment she was seriously contemplating homicide. The moment had ended as Quinn had removed her lips from Rachel's and had let go of the brunette's legs so she was standing next to the blonde. Rachel was glad to see that Quinn looked as angry as she felt, and also directed her glare towards the boy.

"Oh, please, don't give me that look. If you stop to think about it you'll realize I'm right."

Rachel did realize it but couldn't help herself from pouting, "Doesn't mean I don't hate you right now."

From the corner of her eye Rachel could see Quinn giving her a small smile for her comment, which she quickly returned. "You, Rachel Berry, are too cute for your own good."

"And you two are going to give me cavities if you keep this display up."

Rachel honestly was beginning to think that Kurt wanted to be injured as both glares returned. "Do you want me to go all HBIC on your ass Kurt, or are you going to tell me why you are interrupting us?"

"While you do exude a strong side of yourself that is very impressive when you go HBIC, I really do have your best interests in mind doing this. Thankfully where you were located in this pool you were well hidden, otherwise you would probably have been seen by some of your freshman Cheerio underlings with your tongue down Rachel Berry's throat."

Kurt pointed across the pool and in the distance Rachel could see the group of Cheerios out tanning together.

"And secondly as far as I know you two have a first date to get to and I would assume you don't want to be late."

"What time is it?" Rachel could see that Quinn was slightly worried about the second point Kurt had made.

"It is currently five o'clock. What time did you set dinner for?"

"We have reservations at six."

Rachel smiled and turned to Quinn, "Reservations?"

"Yeah, is that okay? I wanted our first date to be nice so I set it up early and I looked at the menu and you should be able to keep vegan and—"

"Quinn, don't worry, it sounds great." Rachel presses a quick kiss to Quinn's lips to add to her reassurance.

"Okay."

Quinn was leaning in again when a cough from above interrupted them again. "That leaves you two less than an hour to get ready, so I say it is time to get out."

Quinn sighed, "I guess he has a point."

"Yes, he has this annoying way of being right, even when you wish he wasn't."

Rachel watched her girlfriend sigh again before she pushed herself out on the edge of the pool. Rachel was extremely thankful that Quinn had gone first, as she got an up close view of Quinn's bikini clad ass.

Her barely obstructed observation of Quinn's anatomy was once again interrupted, "Rachel you can spend plenty of time staring at Quinn later. Right now you have to come with me."

Rachel flushed as she moved to push herself out and found a pair of hands waiting for her. Looking up she saw a smirking Quinn, "I wouldn't want you to hurt yourself trying to climb up here."

Rachel wanted to be upset by the joke made at expense of her height, but any excuse to touch Quinn was a good one, so she took her hands and allowed herself to be lifted out of the pool. "Thank you Quinn."

The smirk was still plastered all over her face, "You're welcome, but I'll always make sure to reach for things that you can't get to, so don't worry about it."

"Okay, if you two can't stop flirting then you are being separated. Rachel you're mine; Quinn you get to go with Mercedes, but wait five minutes so that I can whisk Rachel away where you can't see her until it's time to go."

Rachel wanted to protest, but knew that Kurt wouldn't let this go. Turning to Quinn she couldn't help the small frown at the thought of leaving her again. "I suppose I'll see you shortly then."

"I wouldn't miss it for anything." Quinn gave her a quick peck on the lips, but when she tried to lean in for more Kurt had pulled her away.

"No, Rachel. You can do that as much as you want later, but now you need to get your things and come with me."

Rachel did as she was told, but was far from happy with the situation. With her shorts and shirt on, and phone in hand, Rachel followed Kurt as he started back towards the lobby. She turned back once to give a small wave to Quinn, which she was happy to see was returned.

Despite the fact that they were now out of sight from Quinn, Rachel continued to pout, even as Kurt looped his arm with hers. "Come on Rachel, it's less than an hour and you two will be reunited. Besides, don't you _want_ to look good for your first date?"

"Of course I do Kurt, and I do appreciate what you are doing for me. It is just this indescribable need that I now feel to be near Quinn. I can't stand having to spend time apart."

"My, my, you have got it bad. Well, I'll try to work my magic fast so we can get you back to your girl."

"Thank you, Kurt."

They arrived back at the girl's room just moments later and opened the door to the sound of a pleading Brittany, "Please, San! I really want to go get ice cream!"

"Britt, I told you I just want to lie here with you and think for a while."

The door closed behind Rachel and Kurt, and it was clearly heard as someone was bounding out of Santana and Brittany's room. Brittany's appearance was accompanied by a happy squeal and a massive hug. "Hi, Rachel. Are you getting ready for your date with Quinn?"

"Yes, Brittany, I am going to get ready right now."

"Okay! Have fun with Quinn, and don't worry if she freaks out a little, she's really nervous."

Rachel couldn't imagine a nervous Quinn after this afternoon, but she was ready to fall apart from her nerves, so she would assume Brittany was right. "Thank you, Brittany, I will try to make her as comfortable as possible and I will see you later."

"Bye Rachel!" The blonde went bounding back towards her room but Santana had appeared in the doorway.

"You know what Britt, I gots a craving so were goin' for ice cream"

"Yay!"

As they were walking out the door of the suite, Rachel noticed the odd expression that Santana had on her face as she gazed at her, but they were gone before she could focus too hard on it.

"Okay, diva, let's see what you have for me to work with."

Leading Kurt into the room she shared with Quinn and Mercedes, she directed him to her suitcase and let him go to town. It didn't take long for him to start making comments, "Wait you actually have jeans that you wear outside of Glee performances?"

"Yes. Is that so hard to believe?"

"Since no one has ever seen them, yes it is. But this makes my job easier so take these and put them on."

Rachel looked at the jeans and the slightly low-cut red blouse that she had brought for this kind of situation, but never expected she would need. Rachel brought them into the bathroom with her and quickly put everything on. She opened the door to come back out, but was forced to retreat by the intrusion of Kurt.

"Kurt! What are you doing!"

"Quinn will be here any second, so I will be doing your makeup in here."

Rachel huffed but sat herself down and let Kurt go to work. Rachel tried to concentrate on what Kurt was doing to keep her mind occupied, but she couldn't keep her nerves from acting up. She wanted _so badly_ for this date to be perfect, that she couldn't think of anything else she wanted more, other than Broadway.

Thankfully her worries also distracted her from the passage of time and before she realized it Kurt was stepping back, "All done, sweetie. Now I'm going to go see if Quinn is ready, so stay here until I tell you to come out."

She watched as Kurt scurried out the door, opening it as little as possible so there was no chance she could catch a glance of Quinn. Rachel sighed and began fiddling with the bottom edge of her blouse. The nerves were just getting worse as each second crept by and she was on the verge of panicking when Kurt returned. "Okay, time for the big reveal."

Rachel walked out of the bathroom to what she thought was the vision of perfection. She felt the air escape from her lungs, and was having a really difficult time trying to remember how to get it back.

Quinn was dressed fairly similarly to how she had dressed the year before in school, with a navy baby doll dress and a sky blue sweater, her hair down and her HBIC face replaced by the soft smile she got when she was truly happy. But it wasn't the change in appearance that got to Rachel.

It was the way that Quinn was looking at her like she was the greatest thing in the world.

Finally composing herself, Rachel closed the distance between them and took the hand that Quinn extended to her. For the second time all day Rachel was left almost entirely speechless, but she managed to get out a simple, "Hi."

There was a light chuckle from Quinn, before she responded, "Hi, yourself."

"You are the most beautiful person that I have ever seen." It was out of Rachel's mouth before she could think about what she was saying, and left her with a pink tinge across her cheeks and neck.

Thankfully, Quinn seemed to be redder than she was from the compliment, and it took several seconds for her to respond. "Thank you, but that can't be true, since you look in the mirror everyday."

Now they were both flushed and smiling shyly at the other, when once again, "I don't think I can stand being around this sweetness everyday. They're so sappy it should be illegal."

And Rachel was again ready to murder Kurt and dispose of the body. Thankfully the combined glare from Quinn and herself seemed to get the point across as the boy hid behind Mercedes and used her as a shield as they fled the room.

"So, what do you have planned for us tonight?" Rachel was beyond excited and wanted to get past any distractions that Kurt had caused.

"I made us a reservation at what looked like a casual but nice restaurant that is next door at the Yacht Club. Is that okay?"

Rachel did like how Quinn seemed so nervous about whether she would be happy, when any time that she spent with Quinn would probably be perfect, no matter where it was. "That sounds lovely, Quinn."

The full-blown grin was back and made Rachel more than a little weak in the knees. "Great! Unfortunately we do kind of need Kurt's help in making sure that we can get there without any prying eyes."

The giggle that escaped her chest was unavoidable as Rachel thought of the last look the boy had given them as he fled the room. "I suppose we should probably assure him that we won't be harming him then?"

"I think it would make him more likely to help us."

"Okay, then lead on." Quinn offered her arm, which Rachel gladly took as they walked out into the living room of their suite. Thankfully Kurt and Mercedes were still there trying to hear every word that they shared.

"Kurt, since I know that you heard us, I need you to be our lookout while we walk through the hotel. That won't be a problem will it?"

Seeing the appearance of the HBIC inside Quinn, Kurt quickly agreed, "Of course, Quinn. Anything to help you, I can do it."

"Good, then go make sure no one from Glee is out in the hallway."

Watching the boy rush out the door of their suite, Rachel couldn't help but love the power that Quinn was able to display and wield. It only took a few seconds before Quinn's phone was ringing in her purse.

"Hello… Okay good, then push the button and hold an elevator for us." Hanging up Quinn turned to Rachel, "We're all clear, so we're going to hurry down to the elevator, okay?"

"Okay." Taking Quinn's arm again, Rachel headed with her to the door and watched Quinn do a quick check of the hallway, before they hurried out toward the elevators. They made it without incident and found Kurt waiting for them with an empty elevator.

Taking it down, Quinn broke down her plan, "Alright, you are going to walk twenty yards ahead of us and make sure that no one from McKinley is around."

Kurt just nodded and headed out ahead of them walking quickly down the hallway towards the lobby. Once he was a good distance ahead of them, Quinn led Rachel out and followed his path. Rachel couldn't help how nervous she was about any more WMHS students discovering them, but little did she know that Quinn felt the same way.

They reached the lobby without incident, and hurried through at a nod from Kurt. Now entering the opposite hallway, they walked past Cape May Café and through the hallway that led around the restaurant. This led to the pathway between the Yacht and Beach club that they had seen on the map of their hotel. This led outside where Kurt motioned for them to stop.

Rachel could feel her heart start beating out of her chest, until Kurt mouthed, "Santana and Brittany."

Quinn made a dismissive motion with her hand and they resumed the walk. As they reached the place where Kurt had formerly been standing, Rachel looked into the windows to her right and could see that Santana and Brittany were sitting inside what looked to be a 1950's style soda shop. Noticing it was called Beaches and Cream, Rachel couldn't help but be curious as to why Santana seemed to still be upset.

Quinn had noticed her gaze and said, "I'm sorry if you're upset that they know. I didn't even tell them, but they still found out because they saw us last night."

Not wanting to make Quinn worry, Rachel gave her a big smile. "If you trust them, then it is not a problem Quinn. They are your best friends, after all, and I'm sure you all share a strong bond. I am curious as to the reason for Santana's melancholy, though. I don't believe I have ever seen her stay this upset for a prolonged period of time before."

Quinn frowned, "Yeah, Coach kept her after we got back from the competition and since then she has seemed off. I just hope it's not too bad, because even though it doesn't seem like it, we do care for each other."

"While I don't quite understand the nature of your friendship, it is quite sweet that you are concerned for her."

"Thanks, Rachel." They shared a brief smile before realizing that they had passed through almost the entire walkway and were no heading towards the back entrance to the Yacht Club lobby.

Kurt was waiting for them at the door, and gave them his farewell, "Well, you have arrived safely, so have fun and just know, Rachel, that I expect full details tomorrow."

Rachel couldn't help but laugh. "We'll see, Kurt. Thank you for your assistance, it is greatly appreciated."

"You know me, anything for my fellow rainbows."

As they watched him walk away, Quinn turned back to Rachel, "Are you ready?"

"Yes, I'm quite ready, Quinn."

Turning around, Quinn opened the door and ushered Rachel inside. "Ladies first."

With a smile Rachel walked though the door and then turned to wait for Quinn to enter behind her. "So if I'm a lady, does that make you the gentleman of this relationship?"

Entering the lobby, it was like entering a mirror image of their own, only the decorations were far different. Where the Beach Club had a soft, beach theme with light blues and sea motifs, more yellows and browns and great prominence of their boating theme defined the Yacht Club.

It took a few seconds for Quinn to answer Rachel's question, "Well, I guess that I enjoy taking the lead in most things, so if that makes me the 'gentleman' than… I guess you could say that."

"Quinn, I wasn't being overly serious with my question, but I do appreciate that you want to take an active role in our relationship. I must say though that I also like leading, as evidenced in Glee Club, so I would think it unnecessary to put any gender roles on our relationship."

Giving her a reassuring smile and squeeze to her arm, Rachel saw Quinn relax slightly. "Okay." Leading Rachel to their right, they came to the entrance to a restaurant that was in the mirror location of Cape May Café in the Beach Club. Rachel looked and noticed the name was displayed as Captain's Grille.

"Kind of an ironic name."

Quinn quirked her eyebrow, "How so?"

"Well you are the Captain of the Cheerios, while I am the Captain of the Glee Club. It's kind of a perfect name don't you think?"

"You are such a dork sometimes."

"Oh, really?"

"Yup. But don't worry, I think it's cute."

Rachel blushed as they approached Quinn moved to the small stand in front of the entrance, where they were greeted by the maitre d', "Hello, how may I help you?"

"Hi, I made a reservation under Fabray."

"Okay, table for two?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Alright if you two would follow me."

Walking in to the restaurant, they entered into a large room that was full of tables, many of them occupied by families with children who were there on vacation. Although Rachel thought it was cute to see all of their thrilled faces, she was glad that they were placed at a table in a more secluded corner. "Enjoy your meal."

"Thank you." Rachel watched as the maitre d' left, and suddenly felt her nerves return with a vengeance. Up until then it had been easy to make small talk, but now they were on a _date_ and she found herself closing up.

Grabbing her menu, she tried to focus on what she wanted to order so she wouldn't feel so awkward. It didn't take her long to choose what she was going to order, and she worried about what she was going to do, when Quinn broke the awkward silence, "So what did you do this afternoon?"

Rachel was glad that Quinn had started off with something easy to answer, and was about to respond, when a voice broke in, "Hello, my name is Greg and I'll be your server this evening. Can I get you something to drink?"

Rachel felt a bout of anger coming on from the way that the waiter was eyeing Quinn like a piece of meat. It didn't help her that Quinn maintained her polite tone in ordering lemonade, and it took a massive effort to force out, "I'll have a water please," without sounding angry.

"Okay, I'll be right back."

Watching him leave, Rachel felt some relief but then realized she couldn't remember what Quinn had asked her. Rachel felt foolish having to ask Quinn, "Um, what did you ask, again?"

Quinn seemed puzzled by her lapse, but answered, "Your afternoon?"

"Oh, yes! Kurt and Mercedes ambushed me about knowing about us, which I would think you could guess. Then we went to the pool together, which thankfully allowed me to escape from Finn's attempt to get me to hang out with him. At the pool I basically relaxed and waited for my very beautiful girlfriend to come and take me out on our first date."

"So you spent all day thinking about me, huh?"

That smirk was going to drive her mad, as Rachel blushed and answered, "Yes, you make quite an impression. How did your competition go?"

Quinn sighed, "Good and bad."

"Would you mind elaborating? I am quite interested in knowing more about the cheerleading aspect of your life."

"Well, we were almost perfect, which for Sue is the same as being awful. Plus we are currently in second place, which led to an explosion in the locker room when we finished. So I thought it was good but Sue didn't agree."

"Well that doesn't seem fair. It was only the first preliminary round and second place is far more than respectable. I don't see how that woman is still allowed near children."

"Because she wins and has Figgins in the palm of her hand."

"Well I find that despicable and will certainly be filing another complaint against her."

"Thanks, it's nice that you care about enough to do something like that."

"Of course I would Quinn! There's nothing I wouldn't do to maintain your wellbeing."

The smile that they shared was enough to express how much their feelings had grown for each other through their time together.

Unfortunately Rachel's good mood was dashed again by the return of the shifty eyed waiter George or whatever. "Here are your drinks. Are you two ready to place your order?"

The looks at Quinn had returned and Rachel just wanted to get their orders over with so this guy would go away. Deciding to get his eyes off Quinn, Rachel jumped in, "Sure, I would like to start with the Green Goddess Salad and I'll have the Warm Eggplant and Tomato Tart without the parmesan-arugula salad."

Rachel was pleased to see that she had thrown the waiter off, as he was too shocked to leer at Quinn as she ordered. "May I please have the 'Wedge' Salad and the Pan-seared Chicken, thank you."

"Sure, I'll just put this in for you now."

As the waiter left Rachel felt rather smug about her success, until she saw Quinn looking at her like she was assessing something. "What?"

"Do you have something against our waiter? You seemed pretty eager to order as fast as possible."

Rachel sputtered, "O…of course not, Quinn. I was just trying to get rid of him…"

And the smirk was back, "Get rid of him, huh? And why would you need to do that?" The only answer Rachel could give was a weak mumble. "What was that?"

"I didn't like the way he was looking at you, okay?"

Rachel was extremely embarrassed by her admission and Quinn's smirk and her smug look wasn't helping. "You know jealousy isn't a very attractive trait Rachel."

"I can't help it. You're so beautiful that it's hard to imagine how you could really like me. I feel like everyone around is going to try to get your attention and I feel somewhat subconscious about it."

The smug look was replaced by one of compassion, "Rachel, this isn't just some passing fancy. I've wanted to do this for a long time but didn't know how to go about it. It doesn't matter how many people try to get my attention, because it will always be on you."

Rachel felt her eyes get damp, "Thank you, Quinn."

They sat in silence, just sharing little looks and neither felt awkward with the silence. They continued until their waiter returned again. "Here are your salads ladies. Is there anything else I can get you."

"No, thank you. We're fine just the way we are." Rachel was rather shocked by the forceful tone that Quinn had used, and watched in silence as a similarly shocked waiter fled the area quickly.

"Quinn! What was that? You can't speak like that to people!"

"He upset you."

Rachel couldn't formulate a coherent response right away, so Quinn began to eat her salad while she waited.

"Quinn, while that is very noble in a somewhat distorted way, it wasn't for him personally. It was just a manifestation of my insecurities. I mean, I know I'm not that pretty—"

"Rachel, you are one of the most beautiful people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Don't ever sell yourself short. Even if you technically are."

Rachel was again silenced, even if she knew Quinn was joking from the smirk on her face. "Thank you for your kind words Quinn, but the joke about my stature was highly uncalled for."

"I couldn't help myself. I've been in such a good mood the last couple of days that it's been much easier to let my guard down and just have fun. Plus there's the bacon in my salad, which always improves my mood."

"To be honest, I had never really been as happy before as I am now with you, but the bacon at every meal is something we need to work on."

"Never."

The laughed they shared seemed to get the night back on track, as they shared some small talk and enjoyed the rest of their dinners (Quinn's meal had bacon in it as well). When they were finally done, Greg the waiter returned one final time, "So can I get either of you anything else?"

"No just the check." Although Quinn had not been as forceful as before, she still got her point across, as he left immediately with just a nod.

Heading out of Captain's Grille arm-in-arm, Quinn led Rachel towards the back exit of the lobby. Walking out of the lobby they found that the sun had set as they were eating and that the area around the lake was beautifully lit. Directly in front of them was a pier that led out to a small lighthouse that Rachel found picturesque.

Walking out towards the lake, Rachel slid her arm down and threaded her fingers through Quinn's. Turning to see Quinn give her a smile, Rachel asked, "Do you mind if we go for a walk around the lake?"

"Not at all, that sounds great."

Heading towards their right, they walked past the marina that was located on the lake. Rachel did enjoy walking in silence, hand-in-hand, but she was also curious about the direction they were going in socially. "Quinn?"

"Hm?"

"What is our plan in regards to informing our friends about our new relationship? I know that Kurt, Mercedes, Brittany and Santana know, but what should we do about the rest?"

Rachel watched Quinn, as her girlfriend she seemed to contemplate the problem in her head. Rachel waited patiently while leading the distracted Quinn past the Swan and Dolphin Hotels, and around the Atlantic Dance Club onto the Boardwalk.

Finally Quinn answered her, "Well, I suppose it depends on what would happen if we told them. I don't particularly like the idea of Finn or Sam finding out, as they are the most likely to blow up at us about it. And Sue. Definitely not Sue."

"Yes, that is what I was thinking about this situation earlier today."

"Well if that's our goal then we have to think about who might let it slip to the two of them. Artie would probably blow our spot due to some kind of 'bro code' and unfortunately Puck might too."

"Noah might keep our secret. It is very obvious that he does care for us both."

Quinn winced and Rachel felt terrible for bringing up anything close to Beth related, "Yeah, Puck might, but we both stopped anything we had with him and he might feel a greater attachment to his football buddies at this point."

"Okay, so none of the single boys. What about Mike and Tina?"

"I think we could let them know and ask them to keep it quiet."

Rachel was surprised by Quinn's acceptance of Mike and Tina. "Really? I would say definitely to Tina, but don't you think Mike might give us away? Despite his good nature he is still a jock, and might feel compelled by 'bro code' as you called it."

Quinn's smug grin returned and Rachel was really confused. "Mike wouldn't betray me." At Rachel's lack of comprehension, Quinn continued, "Mike is my oldest friend."

"W…what? I thought…Santana?"

"Yeah, so do most people, but I've known Mike since before I met Santana in middle school. We don't really show it at school but we hang out all of the time outside of it"

"Wow. I never would have guessed. So…Mike and Tina then?"

"It would make me really happy if we could tell them."

Rachel smiled, "Then I would say that we have to tell them then. Anything to make you happy."

"Thank you."

The walk continued as they reached the opposite end of the Boardwalk in front of the ESPN Club. Rachel could see how close they were getting to the Beach Club as they only had one short footbridge between the Boardwalk and their hotel. Reaching the middle of the bridge Rachel knew this was the last moment they would have to act like a couple before it was too dangerous, so she stopped and spun Quinn to face her.

"Rachel, what's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong, we're just at the end of our date and I wanted to spend a few final minutes together before we have to change how we act."

"Okay, well I've had a great time tonight and hope that we can do this again soon."

"I do too, but we can't keep sneaking out on our own or the boys will get suspicious."

"Oh, then I guess we'll have to be sneaky about it then."

Rachel gulped as Quinn moved to close the distance between them. "Sneaky, huh? How would we do that?"

"Oh, I think you know."

"I think I need a refresher."

"Okay, it means that any time we get alone we have to make the most of."

"How?"

"Like this."

And once again the fireworks that went of in Rachel's mind every time they kissed were exploding with abandon. Quinn had wrapped one hand in her hair, bringing them closer together, while the other rested on her hip. Rachel moved to put her hands on Quinn and because of the height difference grabbed the first part of her she could get a hold of: Quinn's ass.

The moan that rumbled through Quinn and into herself, spurred Rachel to give another squeeze that gave an even greater response. Rachel didn't know how far this was going to go, but was willing to keep going despite the public setting.

Unfortunately Quinn's phone started ringing and instantly sent Rachel from turned on to frustrated at the constant interruptions of the day. Between Mercedes, Kurt and Quinn's phone, Rachel was about to start blaming a conspiracy.

Quinn pulled away to look at her phone and had a panicked look on her face. "What's wrong?"

"Mr. Schuester just gave a five minute warning on a mandatory room check."

"What! He can't do that! He said we could do whatever we wanted tonight! What if we had left the area!"

"Um, he kind of sent other warnings as well. There was one an hour ago, two hours ago…shit he's serious, we need to hurry."

"C'mon Quinn, run!"

Rachel started running as fast as she could and heard Quinn take off after her. Heading off the bridge, there was several hundred yards to the back entrance of the lobby. Bursting through the doors, they took off across the open space, ignoring the gaze of several confused people who were milling around, and took off for the elevators.

Quinn got to the button first, but none of the elevators were on their floor. They stood bouncing around impatiently waiting, "Quinn how much time do we have?"

"Two minutes."

"Come on!"

Thankfully an elevator opened and allowed them to climb aboard. "One minute."

The doors opened and they tore out, down the hall toward the room. As they passed Rachel could hear Mr. Schue in the boys room. "Hurry Quinn, hurry!"

The door opened at the same time as the boys was opening next to them. Rachel pushed Quinn in and slammed the door behind them, before grabbing Quinn's hand and dragging her to their bedroom. As they passed through they saw Mike and Tina sitting on her pullout with their mouths hanging open. "Hello Tina and Mike."

"We'll be back out when Schue is gone."

Rachel pulled Quinn in after her and hopped on their bed, where they tried to act like they had been there the whole time.

A minute later Mr. Schue walked into their room. Rachel was still trying to catch her breath, and lower the heat she was generating and the flush it had caused. She noticed that Quinn was in the same situation, and that Mr. Schue would easily be able to notice that the two of them had been running to make it back for curfew.

Unfortunately Rachel didn't realize what other way the situation could look to an outside observer.

* * *

'_Oh god, they've been making out with each other. This is like the twilight zone. What the hell do I do now?'_

* * *

"Uh, is everything okay girls?"

"Of course Mr. Schue. Everything is wonderful."

"Good! Breakfast is at 8 again, I'll see you in the morning."

Rachel watched as Mr. Schue fled their room and couldn't figure out how he hadn't noticed their current appearance. Quinn was far more content with just being happy with the results, "Well, looks like we're safe, Rachel."

"You don't find it weird that he didn't say anything?"

"If we aren't in trouble, then I couldn't really care less about what is going on in Mr. Schue's head."

Rachel _did_ want to know why, but she figured Quinn was right and that she should just accept their good fortune. "Okay. Should we go back out and face the confused couple who watched our fantastic entrance?"

"It might help to slow down any rampant speculation that makes it seem like it was more than what it was."

Rachel hopped off the bed and offered a hand to Quinn, that the blonde gladly took. Together they walked back out into the main room and grabbed the two seats at the kitchen counter that were across from the couch on which Tina and Mike sat watching their every move.

"Hello friends, Quinn and I have important information that we would like to share with you."

"Okay…"

"Well, to start the first thing you must know is that this is very new and unexpected information and—"

"What Rachel is trying to say is that we are together."

"Yes, that is the short version."

Rachel watched as Mike and Tina stared at them for several seconds, before both simultaneously said, "Okay," and returned to watching the TV.

Quinn was sputtering a response, "O…okay? We tell you this… and all you say is okay? This is kind of a big deal!"

Mike turned to Quinn and Rachel was somewhat pleased to see Quinn being the one on the end of a smug gaze for once today. "Quinn, I've known you forever. I've known that you were interested in girls for forever."

"What! Does everyone know about this?"

"No, but I've known you longer than everyone else and it wasn't hard for me to notice. It actually _really_ surprised me that you kept up the charade for so long and that you slept with Puck."

"Yeah, well you know my Dad. Kinda messed me up for a while."

"True, which is why it was nice to see you accept this with Rachel."

"How did you even figure out that there was something going on between us?"

"You've spent the last two and half days spending every minute possible with the girl you _obsessively_ focused on for years. It was kind of easy to figure out that _something_ was going on. And this will probably be a good thing for you, so I'm happy for you."

Quinn smiled, but then asked, "What do you mean 'good' for me?"

"I mean that we both know that you're crazy, so it's a good thing you've found someone who will be able to keep up with you."

Quinn got up and wrapped Mike in a crushing hug, "Thank you."

Mike whispered so only Quinn could hear, "I am happy for you. I was worried she wouldn't go for it and that you would be hurt again."

Quinn whispered back, "I did too."

Quinn released Mike and gave Tina a hug on impulse. "Oh! Quinn, why are you hugging me?"

"Because you deserve it for making my oldest friend so happy."

"Thank you Quinn, I hope you and Rachel are happy too."

Rachel watched the whole scene with a smile on her face, thrilled at how Mike's friendship seemed to make Quinn happy. She was surprised that as Quinn was hugging Tina, Mike came over and gave her a small hug as well. While there he whispered, "I haven't seen Quinn so happy in a long time. Just don't hurt her okay? Her life has been really messed up over the last year and I think you might be the only one who can fix her."

The trust she was being shown made Rachel feel unbelievably special. "I'll try my best."

"Then I don't really have anything to worry about, do I?"

Rachel pulled back and laughed, "Thank you."

Quinn was walking back to where she was sitting and Rachel leaned up to give her a quick kiss, before hopping out of her chair and wrapping her arm around Quinn. She was about to lead Quinn back to their room when an idea struck. "We should all hang out together tomorrow! I believe it would be a superbly fulfilling endeavor."

Mike and Tina shared a look before Tina answered, "Sure, Rachel. It would be fun to hang out with you guys while exploring whatever park Mr. Schue picks tomorrow."

After a round of goodnights all around Rachel and Quinn started to head back to their room, when Quinn suddenly stopped. "Oh, and Mike could you—"

"Not tell anyone what is going on between you two?"

"Yeah, it's just that we—"

"Don't want Finn or Sam to find out?"

"Did you know that you are a giant smartass?"

"You tell me all the time."

Quinn just shook her head and pulled Rachel into their room. Wrapping her arms around the shorter girl, Quinn dragged Rachel down onto the bed with her.

Rachel gave Quinn a chaste kiss before burying her head in the crook of Quinn's neck. "Your friendship with Mike seems very nice."

"Yeah, he's a great guy. I'm glad that he and Tina are happy together."

"Yes, it should be enjoyable to spend time with them tomorrow. Plus it will allow us to be together without having to worry about it appearing like we are a couple to the rest of the boys."

"True. But we should still be sneaky, just in case anyone just happens to be around."

"Sneaky, huh?"

"Mmhmm."

"There's no one around right now."

Quinn looked down and saw a gleam in Rachel's eye. "That's very true."

"We should take advantage of the situation."

"Yes, we should."

When their lips touched Rachel couldn't help but feel that she could do this forever.

**A/N: Okay to anyone who is interested in why it has taken so long for this update, I have been going through a really rough time that kept me from writing. During the early spring I had to medically withdraw from school because I had developed very severe sleep apnea and narcolepsy, which led to an increasingly severe depression. I had to leave school and spend several weeks going to doctors to get my health under control and get my life back. Then I spent the summer both working and working to improve my health, which left me no time to write. But, now I am healthy again and back in school, which has led to me being able to get back to this story. I do have a lot of work to do this semester to make up for my illness, so updates might not be super frequent or regular, but there should be no giant gap like this ever again. **

**So thank you to everyone still here, and I hope to be back with the next chapter asap.**


	10. Santana Interlude Be Prepared

**Title:** Real Magic- Santana Interlude

**A/N: Brief interlude while I work on chapter 10.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, the Walt Disney Company, or anything that both entail within.**

"Fun-bags, get your overly inflated self back here! Sue Sylvester needs to use you as a jumping castle."

Santana felt rage building in her at the continued use of her surgery to mock her. She knew it had been a mistake and she wished that Sue would just let it go. Forcing herself to calm down, she caught Quinn's questioning gaze and shrugged. Looking to Brittany, she said, "Hey Brit, I'll meet you in the room when she's done."

"Okay San."

Watching the two blondes walk away, Santana felt her apprehension grow at what reason Coach would have to keep her back. She had certainly not messed up any of her routine at the competition and she couldn't think of anything else that she had done that would upset Sue.

Unless Sue had somehow learned how serious she and Brittany were becoming. Santana couldn't even begin to imagine what she would do then. She needed to keep them secret, so she could keep their popularity and keep Brittany safe. It was her worst nightmare that Brittany would get abused because of their love, and she would do anything to keep Sue off of them.

"Yes, Coach?"

"S, I have finally come up with a way to destroy Schuester and the rest of his thieving troop of gypsies once and for all, and save the reputation of the Cheerios excellence at the same time."

'_Oh, it's just another one of her insane plans to end Glee. Alright, all that worrying for nothing.'_

"Okay, what do I have to do?"

"Through the use of the skills I acquired during my time in the military, I have discovered that my Head Cheerio has committed high treason by engaging in a secret affair with one Rachel Berry."

Santana's relief turned over into a queasy nervousness at what Sue would make her do. "Really? Are you sure? 'Cause I don't think Q would risk what she's gotten back since last year."

"Don't question me S, I was just as shocked as you, but this is the truth. Unfortunately we still need Q to win this competition, so I can't drop her ass again. But I will not allow this to continue on my watch."

Santana's happiness for Quinn was gone. She had been reluctant to accept her best friends new relationship for the exact reason that was occurring right now, but she had because it made Quinn happy. Now it was all about to blow up and she didn't want to be caught in the blast.

"What do I need to do?"

"Well S, this must end now, and you are going to make sure it happens. You must do whatever it takes to make sure that Q and Berry are broken up before the next day of competition on Wednesday. This will break Schuester's star and get Q to focus on what is important in life, Me!"

Santana didn't really want to know, but she had to ask, "What happens if I can't get them to break up?"

"Well, I guess I would be looking for three new Cheerios once we get back."

"Three?" Santana didn't want to think Sue would be so cruel to a third party, but she already knew what the threat implied.

"I need you to have motivation and our blonde friend ought to provide that. Plus I'll put you back on top as Head Cheerio. So what are you going to do S?"

There wasn't even a choice. She warned Quinn that it might come to this. "Save Q and break Berry."

"That's what I thought. Now get out of my sight."

Santana turned and walked back into the lobby. She hated Sue for the control that she had over her and the way that she chose to use it. She really hadn't wanted Quinn to be with Berry, but only because she had been worried about Quinn's wellbeing. She might have been a bitch and they might have fought all the time, but she did care for Quinn. She knew what this would do to Quinn if it got out.

But she also had to worry about Brittany. If Quinn went down, they might go down with her, and she wouldn't let Brittany go down. And if that meant that she had to hurt Quinn this way, then so be it.

Except… Quinn had looked happier than Santana had ever seen her when she had asked if she loved Rachel. And after Beth, Santana had worried that Quinn would never be whole again. But if Rachel could fill the void that her Dad and Beth and even her Mom had created in Quinn's heart, then how could she destroy that?

'_Damn you Sue. What the _fuck_ am I gonna do now?'_

The elevator ride was over before she noticed it even started. "Hey, S, What's wrong? What did Coach say?"

Of course Quinn would be standing right there. She pulled herself together to try and deflect any ideas Quinn might get from her expression. "Nothing is wrong Q. Don't worry about it."

She shouldered her way by, hoping Quinn would leave it at that. She didn't make it far before the battle over Brittany's reputation and Quinn's happiness started all over again. Entering the room, she was glad that no one else was around. Walking into the room she shared with Brittany she felt her worries melt at the sight of her girlfriend sprawled out on their bed asleep.

Not wanting to deal with her problems Santana climbed in next to Brittany and pulled herself into Brittany's side with her head resting the blonde's chest. It didn't take long before her mental exhaustion and comfortable position put her into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Santana didn't know how long she had been asleep, but she certainly knew that she was awake, as she was being bounced up and down on the bed. Opening her eyes Santana saw what was causing the disturbance. Brittany had apparently decided that it would be fun to jump on the bed when she woke up.

"Brit-Brit, what are you doing?"

Hey, San! I'm jumping on the bed!"

Santana couldn't help but smile at her girlfriend's happiness. "I can see that. I meant why are you jumping on the bed?"

"Because I saw it on TV once, but my Mom told me I couldn't on my bed at home. But now that I'm not home I get to jump all I want!"

"Well, can't argue with that." Santana was happy whenever Brittany was, but she really had hoped that she wouldn't have to wake up to deal with her dilemma until much later.

Santana sat watching Brittany bounce, but it was hard to get her mind off of what Sue had ordered her to do earlier. Watching Brittany and seeing her this happy was making it really hard for her to justify sticking by Quinn. She knew that she would end up doing what Sue wanted, even if it made her miserable doing so.

Santana was pulled out of her reverie when Brittany asked, "Hey San, watcha doin'?"

"I'm just thinking about what Sue talked to me about earlier."

"Oh yeah, I forgot that she wanted to use you as a jumping castle. Did she want you to do anything bad?"

Santana hated lying to Brittany, but she couldn't tell her the truth, "No, Brit, it's not bad."

"Okay! I don't like when we have to be mean to our friends 'cause Coach says so."

"Me neither Brit."

The guilt was crushing Santana, but she just kept repeating, _'It's all for Brittany,'_ whenever she started to feel her resolve wavering.

Santana just wanted to go back to sleep and thought she had a chance when Brittany stopped bouncing. Unfortunately her girlfriend had other ideas. "Hey San, Q told me that they have an ice cream store here and I want to go since Lord Tubbington always eats all of the ice cream at home."

"Brit, I don't really think I'm gonna be good to go anywhere tonight, why can't we just get our cuddle on?"

She could see Brittany getting ready to pout until she got her way, "Please, San! I really want to go get ice cream!"

"Britt, I told you I just want to lie here with you and think for a while."

Thankfully the front door closed and pulled Brittany's attention away from ice cream and towards whoever just came in. Watching Brittany run out of their room, Santana didn't have to wait long to find out who had just walked in, as Brittany shouted, "Hi, Rachel. Are you getting ready for your date with Quinn?"

"Yes, Brittany, I am going to get ready right now."

Guilt came flooding back as she heard Rachel talking about her date with Quinn. If she did what Sue wanted it might be the only one they ever had.

"Yes, Brittany, I am going to get ready right now."

"Okay! Have fun with Quinn, and don't worry if she freaks out a little, she's really nervous."

Santana couldn't take it anymore. Getting up she grabbed her shoes and everything she needed to take Brittany to get ice cream. She couldn't stick around listening to all of this happiness, while she was planning on ruining it.

"Thank you, Brittany, I will try to make her as comfortable as possible and I will see you later."

"Bye Rachel!"

Santana headed out of their room and almost ran into Brittany in the doorway. Trying to put on a front that hid any of her guilt, she said, "You know what Britt, I gots a craving so were goin' for ice cream"

"Yay!"

Her mood was buoyed by the joy on Brittany's face, but then quickly dashed actually seeing Rachel for the first time since early that morning. Looking at Rachel's curious face she couldn't even muster one of her usual insults and just followed Brittany out the door.

Walking through the hotel Santana remained silent as she half-listened to Brittany running through the different ice cream flavors she wanted, even as the list kept changing and repeating itself. She was grateful for the small blessing that her guilt wasn't worsened by seeing Quinn on their trip on the elevators, through the lobby and out by the pool to where Brittany's ice cream place was.

Walking inside what Santana had seen was called Beaches and Cream; they were seated on two stools at the long counter that took up one side of the room. She tried to focus on enjoying her time with her girlfriend, but Santana was finding it to be increasingly difficult.

"What are you getting San?"

Realizing that she hadn't even looked at her menu yet, Santana answered, "I don't know Brit, what are you getting?"

"I want the Kitchen Sink!"

Santana looked at her menu with apprehension after hearing the name of what Brittany wanted and was shocked by what she read. "Brit, that's eight scoops of ice cream. You can't eat all of that."

"But, San, it comes in a sink! How cool is that?"

Santana knew this wasn't going to go well, so she tried to cut her losses, "How about we split it?"

"Okay!"

With the order problem done, Santana was once again distracted by her Quinn problem. She tried to harden her resolve at doing what she knew needed to be done, and figured the best way to do that would be to come up with a plan now, so she wouldn't be able to back out later. She didn't notice what was going on around her until the lights started flashing and the server started making a scene bringing Brittany her ice cream.

It was probably the most absurd dish of food that Santana had ever seen. But it seemed to make Brittany happy so Santana didn't make a big deal out of the fact that they would waste well more than half of the dish. While Brittany ate away Santana couldn't help but just pick at the ice cream because of the loss of appetite she had from the stress of the day.

Santana was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she didn't even have time to think before she was responding to a question she hadn't even really heard, "I'm planning how I'm gonna get Q to drop her new midget girlfriend."

It wasn't until she saw the look of horror on Brittany's face did she comprehend what just happened.

'_Whatcha thinking bout San?'_

Why she hadn't processed it sooner she couldn't begin to explain, but the answer had certainly slid right out of her mouth.

"What are you talking about Santana? You told Q that you were happy for her?"

She couldn't help the awful feelings she was having at the disappointment in Brittany's voice. "I don't have a choice Brit, Coach is making me break them up."

"You told me she didn't want you for anything bad. Why did you lie to me?"

"Because I didn't want to upset you!"

"Well how do you think I feel now? Why are you doing what Coach wants again?"

"To protect you! She's gonna throw us off Cheerios if I don't, and I wont let you become another Glee loser!"

Santana could see the tears building in Brittany's eyes, "I'd rather be a Glee loser than see you like this. You're doing this for you, not me. Goodnight, San."

Watching Brittany run out of the restaurant was one of the worst experiences Santana had ever had. She knew that this wouldn't go over well with Brittany, but they had always done what Sue wanted before, even when it was going to hurt the other members of Glee. This was way worse than she had imagined.

Paying for their ice cream, Santana hurried to get away from the prying eyes around her. She didn't know where she was going to go, since she was sure Brittany didn't want her in their room right now. Walking past the pool she ended up on the beach of the lake that gave their hotel its name.

Santana sat at the edge of the water and wondered how everything could have gone to hell so fast. In just a few hours she had managed to be ensnared in another one of Sue's games and it had damaged her relationship with Brittany.

And it was all Quinn's fault.

She knew that the thought was irrational, but it had taken hold anyway. It _was_ Quinn who caused this whole debacle. She just had to decide to un-press her lemon with the biggest social pariah in the school _and _she got caught.

Quinn. Quinn was causing this and she had to _pay._ All of her doubts were gone. It was time to ruin Q and Berry's merry little love-fest.

Taking out her phone she texted all of the young Cheerios and gave them five minutes to meet her. She didn't have long to wait as the rest of the squad quickly appeared and stood in silence before her. She knew that the look on her face would tell them she meant business, and she had been the HBIC for most of the year while tubbers was gone.

When she was sure that they had all arrived she spoke, "Good evening ladies, it's a relief to know that you all still recognize the correct response to my texts."

"Why are we here? You're not even in charge anymore, so where's Quinn?"

Rage. It was all Santana could process thinking about Quinn's betrayal earlier in the year. She had to force herself to calm down before she continued. "Sue has given me a job to do and you all will help. Unless of course you want Sue to know how uncooperative you are." Seeing no signs of disagreement, she continued, "Good, now it's time to get to work."

"What are we doing?"

"Shut up and I'll tell you."

**I know that your powers of retention**

**Are as wet as a warthog's backside**

**But thick as you are, pay attention**

**My words are a matter of pride**

Santana could tell that she was getting through to none of the girls in front of her, an unfortunate side effect of trying to organize a group of cheerleaders whom didn't have to do school work because of Sue.

**It's clear from your vacant expressions**

**The lights are not all on upstairs**

**But we're talking Quinn and succession**

**Even you can't be caught unawares**

**So prepare for the chance of a lifetime**

**Be prepared for sensational news**

**A shining new era**

**Is tiptoeing nearer**

_**And where do we feature**_

**Just listen to teacher**

**I know it sounds sordid**

**But you'll be rewarded**

**When at last I am given my dues!**

**And injustice deliciously squared**

**Be prepared!**

_Be prepared for what?_

**For the end of Quinn's reign**

_Why? Is she preggo?_

**No, you fool, we're gonna end her… and manhands too!**

_Great idea! Who needs a HBIC?_

_**No HBIC, no HBIC, ha ha ha ha ha ha!**_

**Idiots! There will be a HBIC!**

_But you just said—_

_**I **_**will be HBIC! Stick with me and you'll never be embarrassed again!**

_Yea! Long live the HBIC!_

_**It's great that we'll soon be connected**_

_**With a HBIC who'll be all-time adored**_

**Of course quid pro quo, you're expected**

**To take certain duties on board**

**The future is littered with prizes**

**And though I'm the main addressee**

**The point that I must emphasize is**

**You won't get a sniff without me**

**So prepare for the coup of the century**

**Be prepared for the murkiest scam**

**Meticulous planning**

**Tenacity spanning**

**Years of denial**

**Is simply why I'll**

**Be the bitch undisputed**

**Respected, Saluted**

**And seen for the wonder I am**

**Yes my teeth and ambitions are bared**

**Be prepared!**

_**Yes, our teeth and ambitions are bared**_

_**Be prepared!**_

Santana couldn't help but laugh at the power that she was feeling with the Cheerios back under her command once more.

'_Get ready Quinn Fabray. I'm coming for you and your little hobbit girlfriend too.'_

* * *

**A/N: Okay, a lot of people were curious about what happened to Santana, so since I planned on revealing it anyway here it is. Didn't really feel right starting off the next chapter, so I figured this was easier than a flashback. Gonna be working on Chap 10 as much as possible over next couple days, but I have a few papers to do over weekend so it might not be until next week at some point. So until then, reviews are appreciated and I'll see you later.**


	11. Group Fun in Future World

**Title:** Real Magic- Chapter 10

**A/N: On to the next one.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, the Walt Disney Company, or anything that both entail within.**

Waking up with Rachel in her arms was one of the best things that Quinn had become accustomed to since the start of their relationship. Quinn loved the smell of strawberry from her shampoo, and reveled in the warmth that they shared. If Quinn had her way she would say that they should just stay in bed all day together.

Unfortunately she knew that Mr. Schue would never allow them remain behind while the whole club went out, and they had promised to spend the day with Mike and Tina.

However she was going to milk all of the time that she could out of the situation she was in. Wrapping her arm tighter around Rachel's waist, Quinn loved the small sigh of contentment that the brunette made in her sleep.

Unfortunately, Quinn could hear Mercedes moving and getting ready across the room, and Tina talking to Brittany in the living room. Sighing, Quinn began to gently shake Rachel, "Rachel, it's time to wake up."

"Mmmh…No."

Quinn chuckled as Rachel snuggled back into her and buried her face in her pillow. "Everyone else is getting ready to go Rach, we gotta get up."

Rachel turned her head around and looked at Quinn out of the corner of her eye with a smirk on her face, "Rach, huh?"

Quinn smirked back, "I think it's cute, just like you."

The explosion of giggles from Rachel shook through both of them, "Wow, you are so corny Quinn." Turning around completely to face Quinn, Rachel continued, "But I like it too."

"Good." Quinn placed a quick kiss on Rachel's lips before rolling over and hopping out of bed."

"Quinn! How could you leave me after that?"

"We spent half the night making out, and I'm sure we will again later, so I think you can survive off that for now."

Quinn hurried into the bathroom to change before Rachel's pouting broke down her resolve. She definitely wanted to stay in bed just as much as Rachel did, but she knew that they had to get going. Quinn quickly showered and changed into the green baby-doll dress she was wearing for the day. Coming back out of the bathroom she found Rachel still lying on their bed, having not moved at all since she left. Quinn decided she needed to use an alternative means to get Rachel out of bed.

"Hm, I guess since my girlfriend isn't going to be joining me for breakfast I'll just have to hang out with Sam and Finn."

Watching Rachel spring out of bed like a cannon left Quinn in stitches, even if it had been a little messed up. "You are a mean girlfriend Quinn Fabray."

"If someone wasn't being so lazy I wouldn't have had to be so drastic, would I?"

Rachel stuck her tongue out before hurrying to get changed. Quinn couldn't help the ear-to-ear grin that she was sporting when she entered the living room and sat down at the kitchen counter to wait for Rachel. It didn't take long for Rachel came bounding out of their room in one of her impossibly short skirts and a cute polo.

"Ready!"

"I'm not the one who slept in extra, so…yeah, been ready."

"You could have left and I would have met you down there."

"Nope, can't let you out of my sight. Now come on, it's bacon time."

Rachel grimaced as she took Quinn's hand and walked them out of the room. "That's terrible, Quinn. Think of all the cute little piglets growing up all alone because of your carnivorous obsession."

"Rach, that's the opposite of what I want to think about while eating. I thought we weren't going to worry about my bacon eating ways?"

"You brought it up!"

"It's a reflex, I can't control it."

"You are infuriating sometimes Quinn Fabray."

"Yeah, but you love it."

"Mmh, I do."

They shared a quick kiss in the elevator before heading across the lobby to Cape May Café, where Mr. Schuester was waiting outside again. "Good morning girls! You two are running a little late this morning, so hurry and grab something to eat."

"Thanks Mr. Schue." Walking past him, Quinn turned to Rachel, "Did you hear that? Late."

"Hush you."

Grabbing plates and bacon/fruit, they looked around for a place to sit and noticed Brittany waving them over to the table that she was sharing with Mike and Tina. Quinn found it extremely odd and more than slightly disconcerting that she could see Santana at another table with Puck, Artie, Finn and Sam.

Quinn addressed her curiosity as she sat down. "Hey guys. B why aren't you sitting with S?"

"I'm mad at her. She stole all of my blankets last night."

Assuming that this meant that they would be fine later Quinn decided it wasn't worth wasting any concern on.

"Well I hope that you and Santana can work out your differences and enjoy your time here together."

Quinn missed the worrying frown that crossed Brittany's face as she replied, "Me too, Rachel."

After eating a satisfactory amount of bacon, Quinn decided to ask, "So has Mr. Schue said where we're going today?"

Looking around the table, it was Mike who answered, "No, he said he wanted to wait until everyone was here and had eaten."

Quinn shot Rachel a pointed look, which got a blush in return. Coincidentally Mr. Schuester decided to speak up at that exact moment. "So, now that everyone has eaten I guess it's time to let you all know that today I've decided that we're going to go to EPCOT—"

"Yes!"

Twelve heads simultaneously turned toward the unexpected outburst and landed on the figure of one Noah Puckerman. Most of the club was confused and shocked into silence. It continued until Rachel broke through it, "Noah, EPCOT is an extremely educational park and does not seem that it would be your ideal type of experience. In addition to that fact that your previous actions have given the appearance that you weren't aware of the finer details of Walt Disney World."

"Hey, I can do research too Berry. I, uh, wanted to look up roller coasters before we showed up."

Quinn could tell that there was something off in his answer, even if no one else noticed. She knew he wasn't lying, but he had definitely left something out of his answer.

She didn't have time to think it through further as Mr. Schue continued, "Yes, well both of you are correct. EPCOT is a far more educational experience than the other parks, but there are still several thrill rides like Mission: Space and Test Track, so there should be something for everyone. Alright, it's 8:30 and the park opens at 9, so hurry up, finish your breakfasts and meet me in the back of the lobby in fifteen."

Watching Mr. Schue walk out, Quinn turned back to their table and asked Rachel, "So what do you think?"

"While my first choice would have been Hollywood Studios with its extreme focus on showbiz, it does seem to be interesting with its split between Future World and the World Showcase."

"We're going to the future?"

Quinn couldn't help but smile at the typical comment from her blonde friend, "No B, half of the park is based on technology that they think will be in the future."

"But how do they have it if it's from the future?"

Realizing that it was probably going to be futile to explain, Quinn decided to indulge her friend's view of the world. "I don't know B, they must have some special way of getting it."

"Like a time machine!"

"Maybe, B, maybe." Looking over and seeing the amused look on Rachel's face, Quinn decided to put the focus back on Rachel. "So which part are you more interested in?"

"Well Quinn, I would have to say that the World Showcase with its wide range of countries will be of more use to my future career as a world famous superstar, so it is imperative for us to pay close attention."

"Us?"

"Yes Quinn, Us."

Quinn loved how sure of herself Rachel was when she included both of them in her plans for the future. She couldn't help but lean in with the intent to capture Rachel's lips with her own, but was quickly stopped by a harshly whispered, "Quinn!"

Looking at her girlfriend in confusion she realized Rachel was looking back and forth between her and something else, and she turned to see what it was. She realized that Finn and Sam were both still at their table and that the taller was looking directly at them. "Oh."

Rachel smirked at her, "Don't worry, as soon as they're gone we can get back to where you were headed. But right now we need to go meet Mr. Schue."

Quinn rose to follow her girlfriend and saw the smirking and knowing faces of Mike, Tina and Brittany and could only mutter, "shut up."

Realizing that they were still surrounded by the entire club, Quinn had to monitor her actions so they didn't seem overly friendly. It was only a short walk before they arrived at the designated meeting place with Mr. Schue and were simply waiting for the table of the boys. It didn't take long before Puck came out rolling Artie, with Finn and Sam following. Quinn didn't like that they were all smirking, especially with Puck looking highly mischievous and with Finn's goofy attempt aimed at Rachel.

Before Mr. Schue could begin talking and leading them out, Puck spoke up, "Hey Mr. Schue, before we leave we just wanted to say something."

"Okay, guys, what's up?"

Finn was the one who continued their thoughts, "Well Mr. Schue, we just thought that since this is a bonding trip that today all of us should spend the day together. I mean the last two days we split up and you can't really bond with people who aren't there."

Quinn was seething and was sure that anyone around could feel the anger radiating off her. She didn't think she could handle spending all day with Rachel having to hide their relationship while watching Finn try to bumble his way back with Rachel.

Unfortunately she didn't really have a choice when Mr. Schue answered, "That's a great idea guys! This trip is all about coming together as a group, and having to share your experiences together all day will definitely help." Quinn shared a look with Rachel, who didn't seem to be thrilled with the situation either. "Alright, before I send you off together we need to walk over to the park, so everyone follow me."

Quinn saw Finn walking towards them with a purpose, so she quickly threw her arm around Rachel's shoulder and headed after Mr. Schue. She felt Rachel turn her head towards her and heard her whisper, "What do we do now?"

Leaning down Quinn whispered back, "We're gonna have to act like friends unless you want the inevitable blowup to happen today."

"No, I would prefer to wait until after the competition ends this week." Together the group headed out of the back of the lobby and down the path until they reached the path around the lake. Instead of heading right towards the pool, Mr. Schue headed left. This took them straight towards the bridge that Quinn and Rachel had been making out on last night. Quinn turned and gave Rachel a smile, which was returned. "That was fun."

"Yeah, too bad we're gonna have to hold off until we get back to bed tonight."

"I am greatly displeased with the change of our plans."

"Yeah, me too."

Instead of heading right towards the bridge, they went left and started heading down a slight incline to the back entrance of EPCOT. After going through the gates Mr. Schue stopped them again. "Okay, guys, before I let you go I need to let you know about the reservation I set up for dinner. We are having dinner tonight at a restaurant called Teppan Edo, which is in the Japanese pavilion at 6 o'clock. So I want you guys to meet me in Japan at 5:45. Until then go on and have fun."

Once Mr. Schue was done talking Quinn, with her arm still protectively wrapped around Rachel, followed the rest of the group as it walked up the small path they were on until they reached the back of the United Kingdom pavilion. Realizing that the area they were in was empty Quinn turned to Rachel, "Why is there no one around?"

"Quinn, the World Showcase portion of the park doesn't open until 11 in the morning and as it is currently 9:05 we are being herded through here to Future World."

Quinn couldn't help but laugh at the speed and certainty with which Rachel answered. "Is there anything you didn't learn before we came here?"

"Quinn it is best to be completely thorough when investigating any topic that has impact on your life." Rachel smirked at Quinn before continuing, "Plus I am quite intelligent, as illustrated by my current status as valedictorian of our peers at William McKinley."

"You are only five-hundredths of a point ahead of me, and its only fall of junior year. Don't get so cocky yet, Rach."

Now passing through Canada, Rachel giggled into Quinn's side, "I suppose I should keep that in mind. Wouldn't want the big, bad HBIC to get everything she wants."

"I already have everything."

Once again Quinn found herself leaning in to kiss Rachel, when Brittany yelled, "Quinn! Rachel! You're going so slow! Hurry up!"

Quinn looked up and noticed that the rest of the group had made it through Canada and was about to enter a path to Future World, while they had lagged hundreds of feet behind. "Okay, B."

Picking up the pace with Brittany in tow, they quickly headed towards the small path that the others were heading down. It didn't take long to catch up with Brittany setting their pace. Quinn barely had time to notice the scenery around them until they had left the path and caught the others who had stopped to look at what Quinn thought was a waterfall. It took her a second to realize that they were staring because the water was going _up_, instead of down.

Spending a minute to look at the abnormal water feature, Quinn looked around at the rest of the group and asked, "So where are we going right now?"

It was Puck who seemed to have taken over the group's plans for the day who answered, "We're gonna head over to The Land where there's supposed to be this mad popular ride Soarin'."

Quinn nodded and followed them as they began to move again. It was a short walk to get to the pavilion that they were planning on. Up a short, winding hill was the entrance, which was proclaimed by the large sign with The Land in huge letters. Beyond the sign and the trees that occupied the middle of the hill, Quinn could see the building rise up in a pyramid-esque giant glass roof.

As they headed up toward the main entrance, Mercedes and Kurt dropped back to where Quinn, Rachel and Brittany were in the back of the group. "So, I take it that you two are less than pleased with this arrangement?"

Quinn couldn't help it when she snapped back, "What do you think Kurt?"

"Quinn, be nice. To answer your question, yes we are not pleased that the boys have concocted this plan, but we will stay and attempt to work on this 'bonding' experience."

Quinn made a face that was not missed by Mercedes, "Come on girl, it'll be nice to hang out as a team. Just chill on the PDA and you're good."

"Yeah, that's gonna be a problem." Quinn smirked at the slightly disgusted looks from Kurt and Mercedes and at the massive blush on Rachel's face.

They reached the entrance and walked into what turned out to be the top floor of the building. It was a bright, open space from the glass roof with a group of hot air balloon sculptures hanging in the open space, and the top floor was less of a floor, than it was a circular pathway around the edge of the building. As they walked to the edge of the floor in front of them they could see down to the bottom. They could see the entrances for Soarin' and another ride that Quinn didn't know on opposite sides of the building and a large food court taking up the middle of the room. There was an increasing level of traffic, especially in front of the sign for Soarin'.

"Looks like we have to walk around to go down."

Quinn looked to where Finn was pointing and saw that around the other side of the floor were two sets of stairs and escalators, and an elevator in the back. Puck grabbed the back of Artie's chair and started walking, "Let's go."

Following the pair the rest of the group headed around to the elevator, where Artie said, "You guys should go down and grab us Fastpasses. Puck and I can meet you there."

"Alright dude, see you in a minute." Finn grabbed their tickets and led them down the set of stairs to their right, which put them right in front of the entrance to Soarin'. Walking under the sign they found the Fastpasses to the right of the ride entrance in a small room. Quinn had to let Rachel go to use their own machines, but hurried back to her girlfriend as soon as she was done as she saw Finn eyeing Rachel.

Coming back together, with Puck and Artie just showing up, an annoyed looking Santana asked, "These ain't good until 9:40 and that's in a half hour. Someone's gots to have a plan to kill time or I'ma go Lima Heights on someone."

Quinn just took the outburst in stride, too used to her friend's antics to worry, but Rachel looked worried and spoke up quickly, "Well we could go on Living with the Land. It is right across the way, appears to have a very short line currently, and should be perfectly timed to allow us to be back right as our time arrives. It fits all of the criteria that should be assessed in this situation."

Quinn saw most of the group nodding, but Santana had to speak her feelings rather than just nod, "God, midget, I asked for a suggestion, not an essay. But it ain't the worst idea ever, so let's listen to the hobbit."

Quinn gave Rachel a reassuring squeeze, before allowing Rachel to lead them across to the food court to the entrance to Living with the Land. When Rachel reached the entrance to the line, a cast member standing there asked, "How many in your party?"

"There are currently twelve of us, kind sir, however just so you are aware our friend Artie is handicapped, and I am unaware if that affects our group in any way."

"Yes it does, so if you'll just follow me." Quinn followed Rachel as she led them after the cast member, who had taken them around from the entrance to a handicap entrance that was right at the loading dock. "If you'll just wait here you'll be loaded in a minute."

"Thank you very much, sir"

Quinn joined the chorus of thank you's after Rachel and then went to stand beside the brunette. It didn't take long before Finn asked, "So, Rachel, what is this ride about anyway?"

"I am glad that you asked, Finn. The Living with the Land attraction is a slow-moving boat ride that provides and educational look on agriculture and the new technology that is making agriculture more efficient and also more environmentally friendly."

Quinn knew that the mix of blank and angry stares was not a good thing. She was especially gearing up for a confrontation with Santana who looked murderous, but she and Rachel were saved by Artie. "That sounds really interesting Rachel"

"It does, doesn't it? You know as a dedicated vegan I am especially fascinated by the multiple greenhouses where they grow their own vegetables that are served in restaurants in EPCOT."

Quinn liked that Rachel was enjoying discussing this with Artie, but Santana still looked ready to erupt. Thankfully another cast member arrived before she went off. "Hi, are you all together?" At their simultaneous nodding she continued, "Great, well if you'll follow me we can load your group."

They followed after her as she led them up to a series of attached small boats, which were lined with several rows of benches. They were led to the front of the first boat, where there was a space to roll Artie's wheel chair. "Okay, so we need three in the front with the wheelchair, and four to a row after that."

Quinn looked around at the group as they attempted to figure out who would go where, but as soon as she saw Finn looking at them again, she grabbed Rachel and Mike and Tina and hopped into the second row. "We'll go here."

She couldn't help the smirk that crossed her face when she sat with her arm around Rachel, but it was wiped off by her confusion at the rest of the group's seating arrangement. In the front row Artie was joined by Kurt, Mercedes and _Brittany_, who was seated right next to her ex-boyfriend. Glancing back wards quickly, she saw Finn and Sam right behind her and Rachel, with Puck cozying up to _Santana_.

She was confused and worried at what was really going on between her two best friends if they were hanging out with their exes. However she didn't really have time to dwell, as aside from the bouncing brunette next to her, the guide of their boat had climbed into the front and was starting the tour. "Hello, my name is Maria and I'll be taking you through one of the most innovative areas here in EPCOT. For your safety please keep your arms, legs and heads inside the boat at all times. I'll be back once we reach the greenhouses, until then sit back and enjoy Living with the Land."

Their guide sat down as the boat began to move into a dark tunnel and a soft melody began to play through speakers in the boat. _"Welcome to a voyage of discovery and awareness with the richness, diversity and often surprising nature of Living with the Land."_

The boat was passing through a replica rainforest during a thunderstorm. Quinn smiled when Rachel snuggled closer to her with the cold, moist air around them. _"Our Journey begins as dramatic and sudden changes are sweeping over the land. The approaching storm may seem violent and destructive to us, but to nature it's a new beginning in the cycle of life."_

The ride continued through the rainforest as the narration continued, _"Beneath the surface of the land, roots trap the falling water and extract precious nutrients and minerals. These elements when combined with sunlight create the rich living systems of our planet. One of those systems is the rainforest, one of the most amazing concentrations of life on our planet. These small and beautiful forests cover only a tiny portion of the earth's surface, but contain more than half of its plant and animal species. Rainforest are also rich and productive living systems, providing us with oxygen, food, and other elements that are useful in our lives." _

They finally came out of the rainforest area and into a desert scene, where the air began to heat up and dry out. Quinn was actually enjoying the nice slow ride, and its educational spin until she heard the complaining behind her.

"This ride is so boring. Why would anyone want to learn while on vacation?"

It was bad enough that Sam was saying these things when Rachel could hear, but the fact that Finn continued it was so much worse. "I know dude, who cares how plants drink and stuff. I just wanna ride a roller coaster."

Quinn couldn't concentrate on the ride anymore, even as the ride moved through the desert and into the American prairie. She could feel Rachel shaking under her arm, and a quick glance showed Rachel quietly trying to hold back tears. As they passed into a tunnel with many screens showing different scenes of people working on the land Santana threw the last dagger. "Who would possibly think this was a good idea?"

Quinn watched as the tears started to fall and she couldn't believe that they would do this. She knew Finn and Sam weren't smart, but this was moronic, and Santana hadn't been happy about the ride, but she knew about them and had said she was happy for her. It seemed wrong that she would attack Rachel like this.

Quinn squeezed Rachel as close as possible and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Don't listen to them, Rach. They're morons who can't appreciate anything intelligent. I'm having fun, and I'm sure anyone here who has half a brain is too."

Rachel seemed to calm down and as the tears ended whispered back, "Thank you, Quinn."

Quinn tried to pay attention to the guide as she began to give the tour, but her anger at the three behind her was keeping her from really focusing on what was said. She was able to pick up the general overview as they went through the different areas of the greenhouse, starting with the tropical section with things like bananas and pineapple. They then passed into an aquacell where they practiced fish farming, which she could tell wasn't sitting well with Rachel.

They followed through a temperate greenhouse, which included a nine-pound lemon, a vertical greenhouse with Mickey Mouse shaped pumpkins (which Brittany wanted one of immediately), and the last, which grew plants from rafters with their roots hanging in the air.

They finally passed through a final dark tunnel, where there was a light-up collage of different types of fruits and vegetables. It didn't take long for them to return to the docking area and begin to disembark.

Quinn kept her arm tight around Rachel's shoulders as her girlfriend's eyes were still watery and bloodshot and she didn't want Rachel to have to answer any embarrassing questions.

However it wasn't as easy as Quinn hoped, as Rachel was seemingly assaulted by people. It took Quinn a second to realize that it wasn't the people from the row behind them but was their other friends.

"That was really cool Rachel."

"Yeah good way to kill twenty minutes."

"All that food is giving me a craving."

"Rach, you totally have to get me a Mickey pumpkin for Halloween."

Quinn couldn't help but smile as the look of shock changed to one of happiness. "Thank you. I too was pleased by the interesting look at alternate ways to grow food that could be used to meet the needs of the future."

She should have known that it was too good to be true, but she honestly didn't think that Finn would be insensitive enough to say anything when he _knew_ Rachel could hear. "What are you guys talking about? We were so bored in our row."

Quinn had had enough of Finn, "Yeah, well not all of us have remained gigantic man-children, and we actually _like_ learning about interesting things. Come on, Rach."

Quinn led them away, in no mood to deal with any comeback that Finn might try to use. It was only a few minutes away from them riding Soarin' anyway, so Quinn figured they might as well head over there anyway.

"Thank you Quinn."

"Don't worry about it Rach, I was just telling the truth."

"It still means a lot to me."

Quinn gave Rachel a smile as they arrived at the entrance to Soarin' and hesitated, "We should probably wait, I don't feel like getting in trouble for sneaking away on 'group day'."

"Okay."

It took a minute for everyone to catch up and Quinn saw that Finn was walking straight for them. "Rachel, I'm sorry about what I said. I didn't mean anything, it's just, I'm not good at, like, school and stuff, you know?"

"Of course, Finn, I understand. Thank you for your apology."

"No problem, Rachel, I'll totally make it up to you."

Quinn was glad that Finn at least realized he was wrong (even if someone had to explain it to him), but she wasn't thrilled about his idea of _making it up_ to Rachel.

"Well let's get it on then."

Quinn winced at how Santana made even the simplest things sexual, but added her voice to the chorus of agreements and headed towards the fastpass line.

They began winding their way through the beige hallway that had been designed to resemble an airport. They climbed the short incline and walked by the people unfortunate enough to be stuck in the regular line. However as they kept moving past the stalled line next to them, their line stopped climbing and continued below the other. They finally reached another section of the hallway that was filled with neon blue ambient lighting and continued until they reached a cast member who directed them to their left, which was labeled Concourse 1.

This led them down into a dimly lit loading area that looked like it was also looked like it was a part of a small airport. Once there a cast member directed them into two rows, one of eight and one of four, and left them to wait.

Quinn remained with Rachel as they were placed in the front of the first row, but Quinn was beginning to get annoyed by the fact that Finn had been hovering next to them the whole walk and was now set to be in the seat next to Rachel. She didn't have time to dwell on the problem as the video monitor above them began to show a safety video.

"_Hello, and welcome to Soarin! My name is Patrick and I will be your chief flight attendant for today. You'll begin boarding in a few moments but first I like to go over some safety instructions. When the doors to your flight open, please take a seat, and store any carry-on items in the under seat compartment. This includes cameras, toys, dolls, glasses, and of course…these little beauties." _Quinn couldn't help but chuckle with everyone else as they showed a man removing a Mickey ears hat.

"_Next, fasten your seatbelt, inserting them in the buckle to your right. If smaller aviators don't measure up to the high indicator on the seat, just put the belt through the loop before fastening. Soon, you will be airborne, so if you or your little aviators have a fear of flying or fear of heights, you might want to wait for you party at the arrival gate. Have a nice flight!_"

As the door to her right opened, Quinn led them through to their glider, and moved across to the last seat on the right. She strapped in and watched as Rachel and the others did the same. It took an extra few seconds so Puck could transfer Artie from his chair into his seat, but they were soon ready to go.

"_We are now conducting final preparations for our flight. For your safety, remain seated with your hands and arms inside at all times and supervise young children."_

As the cast members made final preparations Quinn leaned left to Rachel, "You excited?"

"Yes Quinn, this is supposed to be one of the most popular rides here and it looks like it will be very enjoyable."

Quinn shared a smile as the narration voice cut through one last time, _"Soarin' to tower, we are ready for take-off!"_

Quinn felt her stomach drop as the ride rose up in front of the giant Imax screen, and then began their 'flight.' Between the motion of the glider and the wind effects it felt like they were really flying and gave an odd sense of their height. As they flew the video was a highlight reel of aerial views of California, from the Golden Gate Bridge, to snowy mountains, forested rivers, rocky seashores, desert canyons, a golf course and an aircraft carrier.

It culminated flying down Main Street and Disneyland, up over the castle and ended with a firework show. As they glider floated back down the narrator once again voiced through, "_On behalf on our entire flight crew, thanks for soaring with us!_" Everyone was applauding the great experience that the flight provided.

Quinn turned to Rachel, "So what'd you think?"

"It was wonderful Quinn! I have never had such a unique experience before!"

Quinn chuckled at Rachel's excitement, and had to agree that it was a one-of-a-kind experience. As the glider landed everyone began to unbuckle their belts and disembark, but Quinn couldn't get her belt to unlock. As she struggled with it the rest of the club began to move towards the exit, not noticing her problem.

When she did manage to get it undone, she turned to follow the group and catch up to Rachel, when her blood began to boil. She saw Finn had taken Rachel around the shoulder, and the smaller girl was looking at her with a silent plea.

_Help._

* * *

As Rachel unbuckled herself from the belt on Soarin', she didn't notice that Quinn hadn't followed her right away until no arm had wrapped around her after a few seconds. She was so used to the comforting presence of Quinn's arm around her shoulder that she knew something was wrong when it didn't reappear directly after the ride ended.

She was about to turn when an arm _did_ make its way around her shoulders. Only it was so _wrong._ The arm was too long to fit perfectly across the length of her back, and it was so heavy that she felt like she was being crushed. And Quinn certainly didn't have that much arm hair.

Turning she found that it was Finn who had taken her around her shoulders, "Hey Rachel."

"Hi."

She couldn't get anything else out as she turned to find where Quinn had gone. Rachel had nearly turned fully around when she saw that Quinn was still in her seat and was trying to unbuckle herself. When the blonde had finally gotten free, Rachel caught Quinn's eye and could see that her girlfriend was furious, so Rachel tried to convey her need for help to Quinn.

Rachel knew that Finn still had feelings for her that she couldn't return, but she did want to remain friends. This unfortunately prevented her from telling him about her relationship with Quinn until she thought he was ready, and thus to stop him from touching her without arousing suspicion.

"So, Rach, I feel like we haven't hung out at all since we've gotten here."

The use of the nickname sounded so wrong coming from someone other than Quinn, and the statement as a whole answered any questions about why Finn had suggested 'group day.' "Yes, I suppose that is a factual statement. I have been otherwise occupied with alternative companions who have partaken in enjoyable experiences with myself."

As they were walking back through the same hallway as the entrance but in reverse, Finn responded, "What?"

Rachel sighed and took a moment before dumbing down her sentence, "I've been having fun with others, Finn."

Re-entering the food court, Finn had a look of comprehension on his face, "Oh! Why didn't you just say so?"

Rachel turned to roll her eyes and muttered, "I did," under her breath. As the group came back together Rachel could see Quinn was still upset and she couldn't deny that she felt the same way. It was bad enough that they couldn't act like the couple they were, but now they were separated as well. It did seem that Brittany and Puck were trying to distract the blonde, but Rachel could see that she wouldn't be happy until they were together again. And frankly neither would she.

Sam finished rolling Artie to the group, and it took a second for anyone to say something. Kurt broke the silence, "So, are we just going to stand here? I have far better things I could be doing."

Finn replied in what Rachel assumed was his attempt to be the leader of the team. "Yeah, Kurt is right. We need to decide on where we're going."

This led to another silence before Mike finally made a suggestion, "Why don't we go to that giant golf ball."

"Spaceship Earth?"

Mike nodded at Rachel's answer, "Yeah, it's the main attraction here right?"

"Yes, Spaceship Earth, with its iconic 'golf ball' look is the main symbol of EPCOT Park."

Following various consents, the group began to make its way upstairs and to the elevator. Rachel was stuck with Finn as they made their way up and around to the front of the pavilion and started out the exit. It wasn't long before Finn was once again questioning her and the question was not one that she appreciated. "So, why have you been hanging out with Quinn?"

"Because we have agreed to put our mutual past behind us and have come to appreciate each others company."

"But, like, why? She's always, like, yelling or not being nice, even to her friends."

Rachel was beginning to get angry, not a very common occurrence, and she wanted to tell Finn how great Quinn really was. How she cared for Rachel, how she made her feel safe, how hanging out with Quinn the last few days were some of the most enjoyable of her life. But she couldn't yet, so she settled for, "I've found Quinn to be genuinely kind, Finn, and I enjoy her company."

As the group passed through the large tunnel in the middle of Innoventions, Finn continued, "I don't like it Rach. What if she's just trying to hurt you?"

Now Rachel was really upset and couldn't help but snap, "I don't like what you're insinuating! Quinn and I are friends and you need to accept that!"

Finn seemed shocked and immediately got defensive, "Whoa, okay. I'm just trying to look out for you."

"You'll never need to protect me from Quinn."

Rachel stopped talking and took in the sights that surrounded them as they entered the central plaza of Future World. To her right was a very large fountain that took up most of the space, but there was also an open-air pin shop with an elaborate sunshade extending around the roof. From where they were the group headed left and walked around and under the side of Spaceship Earth.

Rachel was ignoring any looks that Finn may have been giving her and it didn't take long for them to reach the entrance to the line in front. Thankfully Rachel took note of the short five-minute wait as they entered the line, as well as the large painting that showed both cavemen and astronauts working on their own forms of communications.

Walking into the entry door, Finn finally spoke again, "Look, Rach, I'm sorry about what I said about Quinn. If you wanna be friends that's cool, but I'm not sure me and Quinn will be okay again."

Rachel could see his point about their past and decided to be lenient, "I understand that you and Quinn will probably never have a great relationship, but you must respect that we _are_ going to be friends."

"I got it, Rach."

They made their way through the short hallway, into the loading area, where four person cars were constantly moving to allow people to get in. However when they noticed Artie, the cast members halted the ride to allow him to be transferred to a car. This allowed the whole group to spread out over three cars, with Rachel being seated next to Finn in a car with Santana and Puck.

Rachel was able to share a quick, loving glance with Quinn as she entered the car behind her, but she wished she was able to sit with her, as she had for all of the rides so far. It felt odd riding with Finn.

Still Rachel was interested in the retrospective look on the history of human communication. But even as she tried to pay attention to the narration as they passed from the time of cavemen, to the Egyptians, the Greeks, Romans and onwards, she could feel Finn creeping closer and she was beginning to get uncomfortable.

She tried to squeeze over as far as possible, but it didn't stop the advance of the large boy. It wasn't long before Rachel was stuck between the side of the car and Finn's body. She could no longer concentrate on the ride as she was beginning to panic, especially as she saw Finn leaning over. "Finn, stop."

"Come on Rach, I'm ready to get back together, and this ride is boring me."

He leaned closer and Rachel started shrieking, "Finn! Stop!"

"What's wrong?"

"I am not doing this with you! Please remove yourself from my vicinity"

Finn looked confused and Rachel thought there might have been a hint of anger, but he did move over to his seat. Rachel just wished the ride would end so that she could get away. She blocked out everything as the ride cars turned and began the descent in reverse. When the car reached the unloading area she jumped out as soon as the door opened and made a beeline for the exit.

Storming past everyone else she barely had time to hear Brittany ask, "Where are you going Rachel?"

Rachel shouted, "Bathroom," as she passed straight through the game and activity filled exit area and out of the building. She didn't know where a bathroom was, but thankfully there was one right across the way that she hurried across to.

Rachel felt ill, even though it hadn't been nearly as bad as it could have been. Finn may have been less intelligent than average, but he wasn't cruel or abusive. She just couldn't even imagine someone other than Quinn kissing her right now.

It didn't take more than a couple of minutes for Quinn to barge into the bathroom with a look of concern on her face. "Rach, what's wrong?"

The sound of her voice put Rachel back at ease, "Nothing Quinn."

Rachel loved it when her girlfriend crossed the room and wrapped her in a tight hug. "Then why, pray tell, did you run out of there? It certainly doesn't seem to be because you needed the restroom."

She figured honesty was the best policy. "Finn attempted to kiss me on the ride."

The look on Quinn's face when she pulled back was one that Rachel knew meant Quinn was on a path to destroy someone. "I'm going to end him."

The detached way that Quinn delivered the threat was slightly disconcerting, but Rachel knew she could corral the situation. "I stopped him, Quinn. I am perfectly fine and you do not need to do any harm to Finn."

"He tried to kiss you."

"He does not know we are together. You can not blame him for thinking I might get back together with him, even if we both know it will not happen."

Rachel could tell Quinn was calming down somewhat, however slight it was, so Rachel pulled her back into a hug. "I'm not happy that he tried to kiss you."

"I know Quinn, I was not thrilled either, but you know I am yours."

Quinn had a smirk across her face, "Mine, huh?"

The smirk was returned, "Yes, yours. And you, Lucy Quinn Fabray, are mine."

"All yours."

If Rachel had been thinking clearly she would have thought it a bad idea to start making out in the public restroom in Walt Disney World. But when Quinn pulled her in for a soft kiss, Rachel couldn't help but want more.

She didn't know how long it went on, or when tongues became involved, but she was acutely aware when she heard, "Totally hot," from across the room.

Breaking apart she saw Brittany standing near the door with a smile on her face, "See Q, I told you that you'd get Rachel back."

"Yeah, thanks B."

Rachel looked at Quinn with concern, "You thought you would lose me?"

"No! I just didn't know how I would get you away from Finn."

"Oh, well, this seems to have worked for the best then."

Rachel smiled as Quinn returned her arm to its rightful place around her shoulders. "Yay! You guys are so cute!"

The three of them walked out and saw the rest of the group huddled, waiting for them. Seeing everyone looking ready to rush off, Rachel asked, "So where are we going next?"

"Puck said we get to go to space! Isn't that like the best! I want to see aliens."

"Brittany, I believe you mean Mission: Space, which is an astronaut simulator ride."

Rachel could see that Brittany was confused, but didn't have time to explain as the rest of the group was swarming her.

"Are you okay?"

"What happened?"

"Ya know throwin up breakfast isn't good for your vocal chords, despite the fact it might actually make your body look like a girls."

Ignoring Santana, Rachel held up a hand until she received silence, and answered, "I am perfectly healthy, thank you. Moving past that, what are we doing? It is shortly past 10:30 and we must continue moving."

"Alright you heard my fellow Jew, get moving." As the group began to move Puck turned to them with a smirk that made Rachel slightly uneasy, "We're going to Mission: Space, Berry. So just hold onto my baby mama, and follow the Puckasaurus."

Rachel rolled her eyes, but said, "Thank you, Noah."

Following after the group with Quinn and Brittany, they made their way back to the plaza behind Spaceship Earth, and made their way towards the tunnel through Innoventions East, directly opposite where they had entered earlier. While walking, Quinn said, "I think Puck knows."

"Totally."

"Yes, it did appear that Noah knew that there was something more occurring than our masquerade as 'friends.'"

"What do you want to do?"

Rachel turned and shared a look with Quinn, "I suppose we should find a time when it would be opportune to confront him and hope he will assist us, rather than tell Finn and Sam."

"Why would he tell Sam?"

Both Quinn and Rachel turned to Brittany, "Because Sam wants to get with me still, B."

"No he doesn't."

"Brittany, would you be so kind as to explain what you mean by that?"

"Sam totally wants to get all up on Kurt."

Stunned into silence, Rachel and Quinn couldn't think of anything to say as they passed out into the East side of Future World and could see the easily recognizable, planet decorated front of Mission: Space. Finally Quinn regained her voice, "B, Sam asked me to hang out just _yesterday_. I don't think he's secretly pining for Kurt."

"Q, Sam is capital G gay."

"Brittany if Sam was interested in Kurt, why would he be asking Quinn to 'hang out' yesterday?"

"'Cause he's totally a pressed lemon like Q was."

Rachel didn't really see where this conversation could go, as they were rapidly approaching the building, and getting too close to the group to continue without being overheard.

Rachel decided she would observe Sam and see if there was any validity to Brittany's assumptions, but at the moment he seemed to be having normal interactions with Artie and Puck as he pushed the former's wheelchair.

Arriving at the entrance area, the group came fully together once more and Rachel was about to voice her concerns about this ride but was beaten to the punch by Artie, "I'm not coming in, since you have to stand on this ride."

Rachel could see that the boy was upset that his disability prevented him from participating. It did provide her with an alternative reason for decision, "I have had concerns about the intensity of this ride, so I will remain here and keep Artie company."

"Are you sure? I can stay too if you want."

Rachel smiled at Quinn's thoughtfulness, "No, go on and enjoy yourself. I don't want you to miss this experience because of me."

Quinn nodded, but then Kurt spoke up, "Rachel, is that normal for this ride?"

Following his line of sight, Rachel saw a man who had just exited and was throwing up into a garbage can. "Unfortunately yes, Kurt. Those with weaker dispositions are often left with negative side-effects afterwards."

"Then I am staying here with you."

"If you bitches want to pussy out, fine by me, but you're holdin' me up, so gets up outta here."

Rachel couldn't help but feel that Santana's use of horrible English actually made her request sound dangerous, so she took over pushing Artie from Sam, and began to move them towards a bench where they could wait. They ended up across from the ride giving them a perfect view of the exit. Rachel was surprised to see Tina already walking over to where they were sitting.

"Hi guys."

"Hello Tina, has something happened that requires our attention?"

"No, I just thought it over and decided that I didn't want to risk feeling sick from the ride."

"Well, then you must join us as we wait for the more risk taking members of our club."

Tina took her seat, and Rachel wondered how long it would take for the rest of the group to be done. It was already 10:45 and the line was supposedly forty minutes long, plus the length of the ride, so she figured it would probably be an hour. She figured it would be best to spend the time speaking with her fellow Glee club members and actually trying to accomplish Mr. Schuester's goal of 'bonding.'

Her decision to start a conversation was hindered by the question that Artie posed to her, "What is going on between you and Quinn, Rachel?"

Rachel was stunned into a stuttering mess, "N-nothing… w-why would you think something is going on?"

"I was only asking about your new friendship, but… the way that you just denied that anything was happening makes me think that it's something more serious."

She knew that she had stepped in it and needed to backtrack ASAP. "That's what I meant! Yes! Quinn and I are friends!"

Artie had the most skeptical look on his face and Rachel could tell that he probably didn't believe a word that she had said. Sitting there trying to put on a convincing smile didn't last very long as Kurt interrupted, "Sweetie, you're busted, Just give up now and explain."

"Fine!" Rachel turned back to Artie and sighed, "Yes, there is something going on. Quinn and I are dating."

"Wow. I did not see that one coming."

"Yes it was quite unexpected, but it has also been overwhelmingly delightful."

"How come you haven't told anyone? Well I guess Kurt knows, but you clearly haven't announced it."

"Well, as it so happens I believe that most of the Glee club is well aware of our status by this point."

Rachel felt slightly embarrassed at how poorly they had been able to keep their secret, but she had a more pressing matter in the hurt look that crossed Artie's face. "So I'm not lucky enough to be included in the secret?"

"No, it most certainly was not like that. Most people found out on their own, and we could not have informed you yesterday because of the company you were in."

"Finn and Sam?"

"Yes. We are aware that they have been attempting to reconnect with Quinn and I, and do not wish to antagonize them during our competition this week."

"That makes sense. So, I guess you don't want me to tell them?"

"Could you please not? We have had enough team unity problems around competitions and would like to avoid that this time."

"Don't worry, I'll let you tell them on your own."

"Thank you Artie."

"No problem."

Rachel was slightly worried about the idea that their secret was safe. The entire club definitively knew, Puck, Finn and Sam withstanding, and Puck had probably guessed as well. It was getting to the point where it was worth talking to Quinn about whether revealing the secret was going to do less damage than keeping it.

Settling all matters Quinn, the conversation between the four moved to simple banter. Eventually it moved to Disney related topics as they waited.

"So what are you guys looking forward to most for the rest of the week?"

Rachel bounded upon Artie's question, "Well, I am very excited to go to Hollywood Studios and see the various attractions that deal with show business, as they will be excellent learning tools for my future stardom. But, I also will enjoy Animal Kingdom, as my love for animals is also extremely important, as my vegan lifestyle shows."

"Of course, Rachel. I am looking forward to a night when Mr. Schuester allows us to go out on our own again, so I can take Mercedes and go to Downtown Disney on a shopping spree."

Rachel laughed, "We should have guessed that you would want to shop while here." She gave him a playful shove as he flipped his hair at her. Looking further down she asked, "What are you looking forward to, Tina?"

"I know it's probably cliché given my style, but from what I've heard I want to ride the Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror."

"Really? I would of thought that you would have wanted to go to China here at EPCOT."

Rachel watched as Tina leaned forward and glared at Artie, "That is racist!"

Unable to think of a way to end the awkward silence caused by the ex-couple, Rachel hoped Kurt would do something. Checking her watch she saw that it was 11:43, and right around when she expected the group to finish their ride. Her estimation was fairly close as it only took another few minutes for the rest of the group to start appearing through the exit and save them from the silence.

Rachel got up to look for Quinn, but noticed that most of the group had already exited the building and Quinn was nowhere in sight. It took almost another minute and the whole group nearly arriving at the bench for her to finally see Quinn coming out being held up on her feet by Brittany.

Without thinking about it Rachel began sprinting past the group, ignoring confused look from Finn, or the smirks that, not shockingly, dominated Puck and Santana's faces.

She flew to Quinn's side and placed herself under her unoccupied shoulder, taking the weight of her girlfriend from Brittany. "What happened?"

Getting only a weak moan from Quinn, she turned to Brittany, "Quinn doesn't feel very good from the ride. I don't either, it made my tummy sick, but Quinn got all dizzy and couldn't walk great."

"Quinn, baby, are you okay?"

"Yeah, Rach, I just need to walk it off." Rachel could see that Quinn was whiter than even her pale complexion normally was, and she had a sheen from her sweating.

"Okay, just hold onto me and I'll help you to the group." Rachel wasn't used to supporting someone else's weight and it slowed her down considerably, even as Quinn seemed to be looking slightly better.

Coming up to the group, Rachel could see that those who had been outside with her seemed far more worried than those who had ridden with Quinn, and that Finn and Santana didn't seem concerned at all. Rachel was pissed that they were taking this lightly when Quinn could have been seriously ill.

Kurt calmed her down when he asked, "Oh my god, Quinn! Are you okay?"

Quinn was able to give a small smile and answer, "You think after years of Sue Sylvester that a thrill ride will be able to stop me? What's next?"

"Quinn! You can _not_ be serious right now! You need to relax until you feel better"

"C'mon Rach, I'm good to go. So what's the plan?"

It was Santana who, seemingly taking glee from their argument, answered, "Test Track, Q. You think you're up for that?"

Santana punctuated her question by looking over her shoulder to the large, circular, mirrored building behind her. Rachel could see the track that wrapped around the exterior, and the cars that were whipping by at incredibly high speeds. "Bring it, S."

Rachel was less than thrilled, but followed after everyone with Quinn still hanging onto her. As they moved she whispered, "I really wish you wouldn't do this."

"I'm getting better by the second and I don't want to seem weak."

"Quinn, you don't have to act strong all of the time. It doesn't matter to me if you are feeling too sick to participate."

Quinn gave her a smile, "I know that I don't have to put up a front for you anymore, but I can't let S get the best of me this time. Plus I really am getting better." To prove her point Quinn removed any weight still leaning on Rachel and returned to her normal position with her arm wrapped around Rachel. "See?"

"You had better be okay when this is over, or I will not be happy with you for the rest of the day. _Including_ tonight."

Rachel was pleased to see a hint of panic in the blonde's eyes, "I swear I'm fine."

"Okay, I believe you."

They walked through the outer entrance of Test Track and into through the door of the building. The inside looked as though they had entered a crash dummy-testing lab, with displays filling all of the empty space with real tests performed by motor companies. The re-enactments of the tests were unbelievably loud and made it hard for anyone in the group to communicate.

Rachel just held onto Quinn, happy to be together for an extended period of time for the first time since they were at the Land earlier that morning. The line led them to be ushered into a small room where their attention was dragged to a video monitor, which began to show pre-ride instructions.

The first one on screen was a women working at a computer. _"Bill!"_

A man from the background responded_ "Yeah."_

"_The next group's ready."_

"_Oh, thanks. Hi, everybody. Welcome to the Test Track. My name is Bill McKim, I'm up here in the control center and in just a couple of minutes you're gonna be out there on that track. But first, let's, ah, put together your test schedule. These are the same kinds of tests that are run at, ah, GM test facilities all over the world."_

The video continued with the two narrators selecting different tests, including incline, rough road, anti-lock brake, environmental, and cornering tests, with a 'surprise' that showed a collision test.

They were then shuttled out of the room and onto a loading dock where they were loading people into cars with two 6-person rows. Rachel noticed the numbers quickly and turned to Quinn, "Grab someone quick, before Finn tries to sit with us!"

Quinn provided an almost imperceptible nod, before grabbing the closest person to her, which happened to be Noah. "Puck, you're gonna sit with Rach and I, and you're not gonna say anything about it until we talk."

Rachel saw the look Quinn gave Noah and knew that the 'talk' they had to have was about his probable knowledge of their relationship. He just smirked and answered, "Anything for you Baby Mama. You know I can't resist you or my fellow Jew."

"Thank you, Noah."

It took a couple of minutes before they were loaded up into their cars and they were pulling up to the start. Once there the car display turned on. "_Hello, we are just about ready to hit the road. So, make sure that your seatbelt is securely fastened as they always should be in your vehicle,_" said the tester. "_Okay, let's head for the first test._"

The car simply went up a steep incline, earning a "This is a thrill ride?" from Noah.

"I'm sure it is only the beginning Noah."

On the downhill they passed over varying levels of blocks, bouncing them all over the place. This jerking led to a moan from Rachel's left, where she saw a quickly whitening Quinn.

"Quinn, you said you would be okay!"

"Rach, berate me later, let me concentrate on my stomach for now."

Rachel unhappily complied, as they came up to a cone filled 'road' and the voice came back on. "_OK, we'll take you right up to the cones, hit the brakes, and see if I can steer you through."_

The car accelerated quickly until they heard, _"Breaking…now!"_

The car tried to brake, but simply stopped short and jerked them around, causing another moan of sickness from Quinn. "Quinn…"

"I'll be fine."

The car turned into another cone-lined turn, _"Okay, we're back on track. Let's try that again, this time with the anti-lock brakes."_

Rachel braced herself and saw Quinn do the same, but the car braked and entered the turn far more smoothly.

"_Alright, that's the way it ought to be. You see how ABS let you keep control of the vehicle while braking._"

"Well that was much better." Rachel turned and saw Quinn trying her hardest not to feel anything and Noah smirking across the car in a way that made her want to tell him off.

"_Okay, let's demonstrate some extreme test conditions." _They slowly passed through a room full of hot lights, one with refrigeration (Where Rachel leaned into Quinn for warmth) and one with 'corrosive acid.'

After they passed into a handling test, where they drove through a hilly, mountain set up around sharp turns. It seemed to be going well until a pair of truck lights and a horn went on right in front of them causing Rachel to scream.

"Haha, c'mon Berry."

"Shut it, Puckerman!"

Rachel's nerves didn't get better as they entered the room marked Barrier Test. _"Ready for the barrier test. Hang on tight!"_

Their car accelerated directly at a solid wall and showed no signs of slowing down. Rachel started screaming again, but the wall suddenly flung open and shot them out onto the outer track. Everyone was now screaming, some for fun, some decidedly not, as the car headed away from the building to a curved embankment. The car did the loop and then shot back toward the building, where there was a radar clocking them at 65 mph, and then continued in a loop around the exterior.

By the time they slowed down to re-enter the building Rachel had gotten over the fear and was laughing at how much fun the loops were. Her joy was slightly dampened by seeing that Quinn still didn't look great, but the blonde did have a small smile on her face as they looked at one another.

They pulled back into the loading area and exited to the opposite side of the car, where Rachel wrapped her arm around Quinn once again. "How are you?"

"It's not as bad as before, and once we stopped jerking around it settled down, so I should be good in a few minutes."

"Alright."

The exit led them into a car showroom where there were different kinds of GM cars sitting around to be looked at. While everyone was looking around Rachel grabbed Noah and pushed him into the front seat of a car, while climbing into the back with Quinn. "Noah, I believe it is time to have our conversation."

"Sure thing, Berry. Just admit that you two are goin at it like rabbits, and tell me I can join and we're all good."

"Noah! We are _not_ going at it like rabbits, we are dating and you certainly will be nowhere near us when our relationship reaches that stage."

"Come on, me with both of you is like a top three all time fantasy."

"Noah!"

"Alright, fine. I already guessed your 'secret', so what'd you want Baby Mama?"

Quinn finally joined the conversation, "You to be quiet, so your best friend doesn't go apeshit over this."

"Yeah, I can do that for you two."

"Really?"

"Sure, anything for my little Jewish American Princess."

"As much as I despise that you would refer to me as such, I must thank you for your assistance Noah."

"Don't worry about it. I'll see you two in your room later."

Before Rachel could yell he was already out of the car and walking away smirking. "He is incorrigible!"

"Yup, but he is a pretty good guy when you need him to be."

"I agree, Quinn. It is very nice to know that Noah is willing to help us over telling Finn."

Quinn smiled, "It is, but we need to get out of this car, or our secret will be blown anyway."

They climbed out of the car and walked around to find the group had gathered right outside of the exit. "So, fellow Glee Club members, it is currently 12:41, and I think it would be an intelligent time to consume our lunch."

Rachel found that her suggestion was met with universal agreement, leaving her with a beaming smile. It didn't take long for Mike to ask, "So where should we go?"

Looking around Rachel found all eyes on her. "What?"

"You're a walking encyclopedia, hobbit, we want your suggestion and make it snappy. I gots to get my eats on."

Rachel thought about it and answered, "Well the best place that will be most accommodating to all tastes nearby would probably be the Electric Umbrella, located in Innoventions East."

"Alright, Rach, lead the way!"

Not thrilled with Finn's enthusiasm, Rachel did as she was requested with Quinn still hanging off of her. They had to walk back across the middle of the East plaza, and enter the tunnel through Innoventions. When they reached the end Rachel turned right, putting them right at the entrance for the restaurant.

They headed inside and jumped onto several of the lines that led to cashiers at the counter. Taking a closer look at the menu, Rachel sighed in resignation. "You are going to order the _Bacon_ cheeseburger aren't you?"

"Rach, you know me so well."

"Yes, I know about your obsession. That is not necessarily a good thing."

Rachel ended up ordering a Greek salad without the feta cheese and stood by as Quinn ordered her bacon. The group grabbed several tables next to each other and ate their lunches while making small talk.

It wasn't until they were done that Puck made his announcement, "Alright, when Schue told us we were coming here I did some research just like Berry. But, my research wasn't about the rides or restaurants, that's not my thing. My research led me to this, and that's why I wanted everyone together today."

Puck handed out sheets of paper while the guys were smiling conspiratorially. Rachel received her sheet and looked at the title with a growing sense of dread. She _had_ seen this in her research, but didn't think about it because of the near impossibility that she would need to know about it.

Puck spoke up again, "We are goin Drinking around the World in EPCOT."

**A/N: Okay, another long chapter compared to earlier. I could've split the Quinn and Rachel pov's into 2 chaps, but figured I'd just put the whole morning into 1. Next chapter is one I've really wanted to do since BIOTA last season, so it should be fun, but the extra motivation of reviews also helps.**


	12. Mexico Norway China

**Title:** Real Magic- Chapter 11

**A/N: This is the chapter I've been looking forward to ever since BIOTA and since I did drinking around the world last summer. Really is one of the most fun 'extras' that you can do as an adult in WDW, but you get **_**drunk**_**, so trying to make this really fun.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, the Walt Disney Company, or anything that both entail within.**

"_We are goin Drinking around the World in EPCOT."_

Santana had no idea what Puck was talking about since she hadn't wasted any time doing research like Berry. She was shocked that Puck had wasted his time when he spent almost all of his free time getting drunk and sleeping with housewives. Although if he was worried enough about drinking while here she supposed he might have thought it was important enough to look up.

"How are we gonna go around the world? We don't have a hot air balloon."

She couldn't help but smile at Brittany and her typical confusion about the world. Santana wished that they could make-up so that she wasn't so alone. Last night having to sleep on opposite far ends of the bed instead of cuddling was bad enough, but she had spent hours today alone, being forced to talk to Puck, and she couldn't take it anymore.

"Brittany, what Noah is referring to is a drinking game that occurs in this theme park, where participants go from one country to the next and consume one alcoholic beverage at each of the eleven countries."

"Oh… We should totally do that then!"

"Brittany! We most certainly should not participate! Not only would we be breaking Mr. Schuester's trust, but we would also be breaking the law!"

Santana wondered what Quinn saw in Berry that made her think that dating the diva would be worth it. Santana hoped that the stick jammed up Berry's ass would make her job breaking them up easier, but Q was so off balance since Beth that she probably liked it.

"C'mon Berry, it's a once in a lifetime experience and it'll work twice as well for our team bonding than you and Baby Mama huddling away in your private friendship circle all day."

Santana smirked at Puck's subtle maneuvering of Berry into position for her to agree. If they didn't participate and hung back on their own it might cause Frankenteen to question their 'special' friendship.

Unfortunately Toyota had to speak up, "Puck, how we gonna even get alcohol? We ain't 21 white boy."

"Chill girl, I've got a fake and I know I'm not the only one."

Santana knew that was true, since she, Brittany and Quinn all brought them too. If she had to guess she would expect the other football players to have them, with Artie being the obvious exception. Finn might not either since he had spent so much time around Berry in the last year.

"Noah, what good does your ID do anyone else… not that we should use it anyway!"

""Cuz, my fellow Jew, you're allowed to buy two drinks per ID, so we should have plenty for everyone."

Santana knew that other than Berry, everyone was seriously considering and even favoring Puck's suggestion. She was all for it if it got her mind off of Brit, or made the blonde forget that she was planning on breaking their best friend's heart.

It wasn't long before everyone began to agree leaving Rachel and Quinn on an island. It wasn't terribly surprising to see her friend lean in and whisper to the diva, followed by slow and wary acceptance coming over her face. "Fine, Noah! I will participate in your hoodlum activity as long as I am allowed to have Quinn as my drinking partner, using her ID."

"No problem babe. I'm gonna roll with my boy Artie since he's ID-less, but we need to figure it out so everyone is covered."

"Me and Tina will use my ID." Santana thought it was redundant that Other Asian even mentioned it since everyone could see it coming.

The next pairing did shock Santana, as Sam said, "I'll pair up with Kurt if he doesn't have an ID."

Santana guessed that it had shocked fairy boy too, since he took several seconds to squeak out a, "Sure." She would've thought that Sam and his football butt-buddy Finn would go together, but maybe those giant lips _were_ good for what Kurt had hoped at the beginning of the year.

"I get Mercedes! We get to be the hot couple, since Q and Rachel are the cute one."

It hurt that Brittany jumped at hanging out with Wheezy over her. She wanted to be able to spend the day with her girl, but she _had_ to do what Sue wanted. She wished Brittany could see that.

"Guess I'm stuck with Finnept. Good thing we're getting smashed." She smirked as the giant glared at her, but he quickly turned his glare on Q and Berry. The way he was looking made her think that he _knew_. She would definitely have to see what she could use Finn for as she came up with a plan to break-up the new couple.

Puck seemed to have taken charge from Rachel with his new day-plan, "Well then let's get going bitches. First stop is Mexico, so lead the way Santana."

"Fuck you Puckerman!" She saw that he tried to play it off as a joke, but she couldn't help the pressure building behind her eyes as the group began to move out of the restaurant. As one of the very few Latino families in Lima life hadn't been as easy as if they lived in New York, Texas, Florida or California. Sure it wasn't as bad as the Berry's life, but Russell Fabray certainly hadn't been happy that his daughter's best friend wasn't white, and he wasn't the only one.

She knew that Quinn would know it hurt her, and that the blonde was trying to catch her eye, but she turned away. She wouldn't be able to go through with Sylvester's plan if Quinn helped her now.

They headed outside and started around the fountain that dominated the Future World plaza. On the other side Santana saw it was a straight shot back to the lake that the countries were all situated around. Somehow she had ended up next to Finn and watching his ridiculous angry face focused on Q and Berry's backs was distracting.

"Got a problem with the new BFF's Finnocent?"

"Are you trying to rub it in my face?"

"Rub _what_ in your face?"

"You know what!"

Santana smirked, "So you do know."

"I saw Quinn kiss Rachel on Saturday night. She must be doing something to mess with Rachel. I know Rachel loves me!"

"I know what you're sayin'. I'm worried that Sue put Q up to this just to break Berry's overly clingy heart and destroy Glee."

"You think that she would really do that?"

Hook. Line. Sinker. "Sure. Sue has done things that were much crazier than that. Just imagine what will happen if someone doesn't save Rachel in time by showing her that they love her more than Quinn."

It took longer than Santana thought possible, but Finn eventually got it. "I have to save Rachel! Thanks for your help Santana. I guess you're not quite as soulless as I thought."

The rage that coursed through her body at the soulless remark was crushed beneath the need to keep Finn on track as part of her plan. She knew it would take more than Finn trying his best to 'woo' Berry, but it was a start.

They had made it out to the edge of the lake and had taken a left towards a large Aztec-based temple. They had to cross a small bridge to enter the center of what was Mexico. It was crowded in the smallish space between the temple and a restaurant that sat on the edge of the water. Now that they had arrived Santana had no idea what Puck's plan was but he led the group over to the restaurant first.

They entered a small archway with the name, La Cantina de San Angel, over it and walked to a counter service station where she saw the menu. It was mostly standard Mexican fare, but she focused on the margarita section and tried to decide what she wanted.

Puck turned back towards the group and in a soft voice said, "Everyone who doesn't have an ID should go grab us a table and not hang around."

Santana figured it was probably smart since she didn't think Schue would appreciate it if Berry or another of the gleeks got arrested, no matter how hilarious it would be. She was surprised to see Finn stick around. "What are you still doing here Finncompetent?"

"I have my own ID Santana, I don't need you to buy my beer for me."

She shrugged and figured it would be fine since he was a giant anyway and who _wouldn't_ think he was 21. She thanked God that she was a girl and that a little flirting would distract from whether the ID was real, and knew that Q and Brit would make it work too. Puck looked far older than he was, so the only real problem was Mike, but he was Asian and they all looked young anyway.

The orders in front of her went off without a hitch as Puck got Dos Equis for him and Artie, Mike had a beer and a margarita, two margaritas for Brit, but Quinn only had one. She guessed Berry wasn't going to drink after all, but then saw her grab two straws. She thought it was weak, but it was her turn so she didn't have time to let Quinn know it.

Stepping up she gave the cashier a smile, "Hi there, can a girl get a Passion Fruit Margarita?"

"ID?"

Pulling out her fake she gave it to him making sure to brush over his fingers as she handed it to him. He didn't take long before handing it back and saying, "That'll be $9.62."

She couldn't believe how expensive it was for one margarita, but paid, got her drink and then went to find the rest of the group. She found them sitting at a group of tables overlooking the water starting on their drinks. She took a sip of hers and found that it was a fairly cheap and sugary excuse for a margarita, but quality wasn't the main goal when she just wanted to get wasted and forget her fight with Brittany.

Santana stood there watching Q and Berry, and felt simultaneously sick at their cutesy looks of affection while sipping out of opposite straws, and happy that Quinn looked so _free_. Ever since she had known Quinn she had been under such strain, whether it was her father and his expectations or the pregnancy and the destruction of her life. She really didn't want to ruin what Quinn had found, but she couldn't see an alternative.

Looking away to ease her guilt she saw Finn walking over to them with his beer, but he also had a basket of tacos. "We just ate lunch and you're eating again?"

"I'm hungry."

"Guess you're happy about the man-boobs then."

"Screw you Santana."

"Whatever."

She had finished most of her margarita and felt herself loosening up slightly and knew that by the end of the day she would probably break down like her usual weepy drunk self. Between Brit ignoring her and having to ruin Q's relationship she could feel the tears coming already and she was just feeling a buzz.

Incapable of sticking around and seeing either of them anymore she downed the rest of her margarita and stood. "I'm gonna go check out the inside of the temple thing now so hit me up whenever you're done."

"What's the rush Satan? Need to remind yourself of home by buying a sombrero or something?"

"Fuck you, Puck." She could feel the tears threatening to fall as she rushed away.

* * *

Rachel had been far less than enthusiastic when Noah had made his suggestion at lunch; in fact she was dead set against it. She wasn't sure how Quinn had convinced her, but she found herself approaching the Mexico pavilion and could feel her doubts return. "Quinn I believe I am having second thoughts and no longer consider this to be a good idea."

She didn't think it was fair of Quinn to give her such a reassuring smile and could already feel her new objections breaking down. "Rach, I promise that I will take care of you, so there isn't anything to worry about. This is a trip about bonding and trust me, this will be great way to bring the club together, so we really should participate."

"I am simply worried, Quinn. I most certainly cannot have an arrest on my record when I am applying to schools and auditioning for Broadway."

"Rach, we'll split our drinks and consume a lot of water and carbs to keep from getting too drunk if you want."

"You would do that?"

"Of course. It's about the experience and trying the drinks, not getting hammered, but we should at least be involved."

"Okay, Quinn, but I am trusting you."

"Don't worry Rach."

She tried to keep herself calm, but felt her apprehension grow as they entered La Cantina de San Angel and she was sent to get tables with the other ID-less members of Glee. She tried to calm down as Puck, Mike and Brittany all returned with drinks for Artie, Tina and Mercedes, but her nerves remained until Quinn appeared with a pink and green concoction in her hand.

"I got us a Lime-Raspberry Margarita to share."

"Is it vegan?"

Quinn let out a tiny laugh, "Yeah, Rach, it's just ice, sugary fruit flavoring and tequila. No animals involved."

"Okay"

Rachel could feel her stomach roll in nervousness as Quinn sat across from her and placed two straws into their plastic cup. The blonde took the first sip and recoiled slightly. "Wow, that is sweet. C'mon try some."

Rachel was deliberately slow as she leaned down and took her first sip. It was sweeter than she expected, even with Quinn's warning, and caused her face to pucker. She could hear Quinn chuckle softly, but as the shock went away all she could taste was the fruit. "Are you sure there's alcohol in here?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Just because you can't really taste doesn't mean it's not there, so go easy."

Rachel figured Quinn would know so she stuck to taking small sips while staring across at Quinn. She was enjoying the romantic cliché so much she didn't notice Santana's outburst right away, but she did hear Noah. "What's the rush Satan? Need to remind yourself of home by buying a sombrero or something?"

"Fuck you, Puck."

Watching Santana hurry away, Rachel was shocked but Quinn quickly stood, "C'mon we need to go find her."

Confusion reigned as she rose and followed Quinn with their margarita in hand. She caught her girlfriend outside the restaurant as she made a beeline for the steps up into the temple. "Quinn what is wrong?"

"Santana… when she drinks she becomes a weepy drunk and between her fight with Brittany and Puck's asshole comments, I want to make sure she's okay."

Climbing up and entering into the dark entrance of the temple, Rachel's confusion changed "Santana and Brittany are fighting?"

"Have you seen them speak at all today? They're normally all over each other."

Rachel thought about it and realized that Quinn was right in her observations and wondered what had happened between the two. Absentmindedly sipping on her drink, Rachel looked around briefly in the small entrance area at the Mexican wood animal carvings that were on display. She didn't have time to look for long as Quinn continued through to the main area.

Recalling her research Rachel knew that this was the Plaza de los Amigos, and that it contained most of the shopping for the pavilion, but also had a ride and a restaurant, and that finding Santana wouldn't be easy. The interior was set at 'night' so it was dark and had limited visibility that wasn't helped by the fact that it was a market with stalls taking up most of the floor space.

"Quinn, I think it would be beneficial for us to spread out in our search for Santana."

"Alright just call me if you find her."

Rachel nodded and set off to the left of the fountain that sat in the middle of the plaza entrance, while Quinn went right. Walking around the various carts that dominated the Plaza, she saw a bunch of things that she wanted to take a closer look at, but Rachel knew that she had to find Santana first, despite obvious misgivings about helping the girl.

Luckily Rachel was able to spot her target wandering aimlessly among one of the stores located on Rachel's side of the Plaza. "Santana!"

The taller girl turned and Rachel could see that her eyes were red and puffy, with tear streaks marring her normally perfect, stoic face. The look of recognition in her eyes was followed by Santana fleeing deeper into the Plaza.

"Santana! Wait!" Rachel hurried after her and saw her passing under an archway and entering the line for Gran Fiesta Tour starring the Three Caballeros.

She went to follow when she was stopped. "Ma'am, you need to finish your drink before entering the ride."

Rachel stopped and looked at her cup, which still had nearly half of the margarita left. Quickly removing the straws Rachel up-ended the cup and downed the rest before following into the line. Thankfully, she had reached the entrance before anyone else had followed Santana and was able to catch up to her as she reached the loading area.

"Santana! Why are you running from me? I am attempting to make sure you are okay."

The Latina avoided her gaze, even as they were seated together on a boat. "Did it ever enter your Broadway filled brain that maybe I don't want your 'help'."

"Yes Santana, it did cross my mind that you would probably be against talking to me given your previously stated distaste for me and your need to appear strong and in control all of the time. However, Quinn was worried for your emotional well-being and what I have seen has made me worried as well."

The boat began to float along the ride through a Mexican jungle and past a Mayan temple and a volcano. "Please just drop it. I'm fine."

"Really? Then why has Brittany avoided you all day? It is clear that something is wrong, and I will not cease my questioning until you answer me and allow me to help you."

Their boat had entered a canal filled with video screens showing Donald Duck running around various parts of Mexico, while his friends were trying to find him. "Okay, fine! Britts is angry at me because I'm a coward okay!"

Rachel could see that Santana was on the verge of a breakdown, so she reached over and placed her hand on the Latina's back and began to rub in small circles. She had no idea how she had the courage to do it, but she felt an overwhelming need to help. "Hey, you are Santana Lopez, you are not afraid of anything. What could possibly be so bad?"

Rachel didn't expect for Santana to start bawling, but she quickly wrapped the taller girls in her arms and allowed her to cry on her shoulder. "It's S-sue"

"Coach Sylvester?"

"She's threatening to kick me, Britt and Q off the Cheerios unless I do what she wants."

Rachel was shocked that Sue would be so heartless and wondered what she would force Santana to do. "Santana what does she want?"

"I can't."

"Please, Santana, I want to help."

"She… she wants me to find a way to make Quinn break up with you." Rachel was shocked and knew that she spent too long responding when Santana started sobbing again, "I'm sorry… I didn't want to, but I don't have a choice. I can't let Britt be kicked off Cheerios."

Rachel understood immediately why Santana had agreed to do Sue's bidding. Brittany was protected on Cheerios, but without it people would be free to attack her intelligence. "It's okay, Santana."

"W-what?"

Santana pulled away looking as confused and stunned as Rachel had ever seen her. "I understand why you would agree. Sue picked the one thing she knew would force you to do her bidding. I know you love Brittany and would do anything for her."

"I don't want to though. Q's my best friend and you make her _so_ happy. I just don't know what to do."

"Well I would prefer if Quinn did not break up with me, but I am positive that we can come up with some solution to your problem."

"What?"

Rachel smiled and tried to cheer the distraught girl up, "We are Rachel Berry and Santana Lopez. If we work together, not even Sue Sylvester can stop us."

This finally got a smile and small laugh out of Santana. "True." Rachel watched as Santana stared at her for a few seconds, before the Latina reached over and pulled her into a hug. "I know I don't deserve your help, but I'm really grateful. I can see why Quinn likes you."

"Thank you Santana." Rachel focused on the ride even though they were nearing the end, and said, "You should take Brittany on this ride when we're done, she'd probably love it."

"She doesn't even want to speak to me."

"Don't worry, I'll help you out. Just take her on here and apologize and tell her that we're going to fix everything later."

The boat pulled in and they exited onto the platform where Santana hugged Rachel again. "Thank you Rachel."

"Wow, no nickname."

"Least I could do."

Rachel detached herself and started walking out the exit, when she felt herself lose her balance briefly and tilt, before coming back to center. She stopped for a second and Santana asked, "You okay?"

Rachel whispered back, "I think I am becoming drunk."

"You had less than a whole margarita, you're probably just a little buzzed. Here, "She wrapped her arm under Rachel's and held her steady, "We'll get you back to Quinn and then you can get really drunk on your time with her."

"Thank you Santana, that is probably a good idea."

Together they walked out into the plaza and saw the glee club congregating in the middle. They walked towards them and Rachel shouted, "Hello fellow Glee clubbers!"

"Rachel!" She watched Quinn run over and engulf her in a hug, "Where were you?"

"I found Santana and we had a good chat on the boat ride."

Rachel watched as Quinn turned to Santana, "Are you okay S?"

"Yeah, I'm good now Q, thanks to Berry." They shared a last smile before Rachel stepped away with Quinn. "Hey Britt, do you want to go on the boat ride? I think you'll love it."

Rachel could see that Brittany wanted to say no, but she caught the blonde's eye and mouthed 'go' until Brittany understood. "Okay, San."

Watching the two go back to the entrance Quinn turned to her, "So you got through to Santana?"

"Yes we had a very good chat and I think everything will work out now."

"You want to talk about it?"

"No, I think it would be best if it stays between us, no offence."

"Okay." Quinn began to walk them among the stalls, "It's probably good you both had a drink to loosen up before hand, or it could have been a disaster."

"Yes, I am quite worried that I have begun to become drunk."

"You seem fine to me. We don't even know what kind of drunk you'll be. Guess we'll see how you are later."

"You better keep me safe Quinn, I'm counting on you."

"Don't worry, everything will be fine."

Rachel felt that Quinn was right and that things were looking up on almost all fronts.

* * *

Quinn didn't want to push but she did want to know what was wrong with Santana. She trusted her girlfriend when she said that everything was okay, but S was her best friend and she wanted to do what she could to help.

Now she was distracted as they waited for S and B, by Rachel trying on a sombrero and having it fall down over her eyes. "Nice hat."

Taking the hat off Rachel stuck her tongue out at her, "Meanie."

It wasn't long before Brittany and Santana were exiting the ride and coming over to them. Brittany hurried ahead and grabbed Rachel, pulling her along towards the exit. "That was such a good ride Rachel! Donald is like, the coolest duck ever."

Quinn smiled as her girlfriend was trying to keep up with Brittany, and began to walk after them with Santana at her side. "So, everything really is good?"

"Yeah Q, I'm good. Your girlfriend is totes a pro at the whole comforting, feelings thing. Which is good since she might melt your icy heart."

"Shut up, S." Quinn smiled at her best friend and hurried after their girlfriends as they left the pyramid and met up with the rest of the group. As they walked up to the group Brittany came bounding back to them, "San, you totally have to join me and Mercedes to make a super hot group."

"Sure Britts, as long as Wheezy keeps up it's cool."

"I will drink you under a table, Satan."

"Oh, it's on homegirl."

Quinn laughed and wrapped her arm around Rachel's shoulders, following the now arguing trio. The group headed through the crowd in front of the pyramid and walked towards the next country, Norway, which was visible from its large stave church that rose above everything else.

"So, are you ready for drink number two?"

She saw that Rachel now looked determined, "Yes Quinn, I am certainly ready. Although I was hesitant before we began, we have already succeeded in one country so I do not believe we will have many problems going forward."

Quinn smirked, "I thought you were worried about being drunk already?"

She could see that the smaller girl was embarrassed, "I know I am not drunk yet, but I do feel slightly off."

"Well hopefully you wont end up like me when you're drunk or we might do something we'll regret."

Rachel looked up at her confused, "Why? How are you affected when you are intoxicated?"

"I end up becoming an angry drunk and yell at people, so hopefully you'll be a happy drunk and will be able to keep me in a good mood."

Quinn was having second thoughts about revealing the information she just had when Rachel looked at her concerned. "Quinn, should you be drinking if you have an adverse reaction to alcohol?"

"No, it's not that bad, Rach. Sometimes Santana or someone else annoys me and I get angry and yell at them. And it's usually Santana. For obvious reasons."

"Okay Quinn. I will continue to trust you in this endeavor and will do _my_ best to ensure that you remain in a positive mind-frame to enjoy our day."

"Okay, thanks Rach."

Their conversation was interrupted by Santana shouting from ahead of them, "Hey bitches, move your asses! I wants to get my drink on!"

Seeing that the rest of the group had reached the church, they hurried slightly. "I see that she's completely back to normal."

"Yes, but I would like to believe that she will not be as hostile to me now."

"Don't worry, she acts like she is a gangster but inside she's a softy."

"I thought that it was just the alcohol that caused her to be so emotional during our conversation."

"It probably helped, but her gangster act really is an act, which I'm sure you'll see as soon as we all hang out more often."

They reached the group as they stood in front of the church and everyone looked to Puck for what their next stop would be. "Alright we're at stop number two: Norway. There's a beer cart right outside for those who want that, and there's other drinks inside some little bakery for those who want that."

"Are you referring to Kringla Bekeri Og Café Noah?"

"Yeah Berry that sounds like the one. So meet ya in the middle of the country in 15."

The group began to break up as almost everyone headed to the beer cart with the exception of Sam and Kurt who went around the church in search of the bakery. Quinn turned to Rachel, "So beer?" The blank look she received made her laugh, "Didn't think so. Okay let's find the bakery."

Walking around the church they were met with a cobble stone courtyard surrounded by large stone buildings. Towards the back a waterfall fell next to a ride entrance that the sign named Maelstrom.

"Quinn it's right there."

Following the pointed finger of her girlfriend Quinn saw that the bakery was tucked directly behind the church on the left side of the courtyard. "Let's go then."

They walked around and entered the shop to find ?

Entering the line Quinn looked at the menu to see what options they had alcohol wise. "Looks like it's either Viking Coffee or Bailey's Coffee, unless you want a beer."

"I suppose for the sake of semi-authenticity I would say the Viking Coffee. Oh, and a waffle."

"A waffle? Seriously?"

"I happen to enjoy waffles, thank you very much. It's far more sensible than wanting bacon."

"I could get the sandwich that has bacon on it if you want."

"You will do no such thing. You will buy waffles so that we have a bread product to assist in the absorption of the alcohol."

"Fine, now skedaddle over to Kurt while I order."

"Skedaddle Quinn? Seriously?"

"Just go!"

Quinn watched as her smirking girlfriend went to stand by Kurt and couldn't help be reminded of what Brittany had said earlier about him and Sam. She hadn't thought much of it until the blonde asked for Kurt to be his partner, but now she wasn't so sure.

It would certainly make her life far easier if the other blonde was gay, but she had asked him on their first date and he had said no. She wasn't sure if she believed him anymore and decided that she and Rachel would have to keep an eye on it.

It certainly _looked_ gay after Sam had bought them both coffee and they stood there chatting over it. She finally reached the front and ordered their coffee and two waffles. Getting her order she walked over to Rachel, "Here's your waffle and one coffee to share."

"Thank you Quinn."

Walking back outside she saw that various groups still had to order their beer, so Quinn found the nearest bench and dragged Rachel to sit with her. It wasn't long before Rachel spoke up, "Quinn, I know that many people are skeptical of my sixth sense, but I must inform you that it is detecting that something unexpected is occurring between Kurt and Sam."

Quinn had to laugh, "Rach, that's not your sixth sense, it's gaydar."

"What! But…. Quinn just because we have entered a homosexual relationship does _not_ mean we automatically have gaydar!"

"No, it doesn't, but I'm totally right on this one."

Looking across the courtyard, the two boys were standing rather close and were clearly enjoying their conversation over their coffee.

It took several seconds for Rachel to examine the pair and then turn to Quinn again. "I suppose you may be right, but how do we know? Sam is obviously in the closet and does seem to put a great deal of stock in his popularity."

Quinn knew Rachel was right and that it would be hard for Sam to admit his feelings if they were right. "I don't know. I guess we keep watching and hope that loosened inhibitions are enough."

"Yes I think you have chosen a good course of action Quinn." Quinn smiled at Rachel but could see that her girlfriend had something on her mind. "Quinn, what are you going to do about us and how we would affect your status in school?"

Quinn was shocked by the question and couldn't really answer at first. She finally managed to force out, "I don't know."

"Oh."

Seeing how upset Rachel became at her answer Quinn clarified quickly, "No, Rach, I don't mean it like that, I am not ashamed to be with you. I just… I'm worried about my mom and what she'll do if she finds out."

"I thought you were working things out with your mom?"

"We are, I just don't know whether her newfound caring will extend to a daughter who's gay."

Rachel had a look of understanding on her face as she hugged Quinn from the side on their bench. "I understand, Quinn. I don't want to cause any problems between you and your mother."

"It's okay. I just don't want to lose her again after she tried to fix everything."

They sat there for a while with Rachel leaning into Quinn's side, eating their waffles and drinking their liquored up coffee, Quinn still felt good and sober, but could tell from the flush in Rachel's cheeks that alcohol was beginning to affect her girlfriend. She didn't know how high Rachel's tolerance would be, but if she had to guess, she would guess low.

As she watched the rest of the club finish getting their beer and stand around drinking it, Rachel buried herself further into Quinn's side. "Rach, what are you doing?"

"Mmh, cuddling."

"And why are we cuddling?"

"Because I like our cuddling."

Quinn had to smile at how adorable Rachel was, but the odd looks from Finn made her try to sit Rachel up on her own. "I like our cuddling too, but our childish ex is looking at us weirdly and we don't want him to find out, do we?"

"No." Rachel sat up with a pout on her face. "I wish we could just act like a couple and not have to worry about him."

"Yeah, me too."

They sat and finished their food and drink, while waiting for the others to finish as well. Quinn looked at Rachel's flushed face and asked, "So how are you now?"

"I feel a little warm, but I believe I am still what you would call 'buzzed.'"

"Okay good, just let me know if you want to stop and we will."

"Quinn! Rachel Berry does nothing half way!"

The answer was slightly worrying, but she figured it was better to cross that bridge if it was necessary. Her line of thought was interrupted by the excited yelling of Brittany, "Q! Rach! Come on! I want to go on the ride and you two have to come."

Sharing a quick glance with a bemused Rachel, Quinn answered, "Of course B, anything you want."

* * *

Brittany was so happy after her ride with Santana. Santana had decided not to break up Quinn and Rachel, which was good because they would be sad, and Rachel was going to help Santana not get in trouble with Coach, which was good because Coach was mean sometimes, especially when you didn't do what she wanted.

Now that San was going to be good she could forgive her and spend the whole day getting super drunk together with Mercedes. Sure she wanted to be alone with Santana so they could have sweet lady kisses, but she didn't want Mercedes to be with Finn. He was really angry about Quinn and Rachel.

"Britt, you want a beer?"

"Oh, totally San." Britt followed Santana onto the line for beer, but then remembered, "Oh, Mercedes, do you want beer?"

"I'm down Brittany."

Brittany smiled and nodded before turning back to the line, where Santana looked annoyed, "Is she gonna be all up in our business all day?"

"San, be nice, she is my buddy, and I don't want her to have to be with Finn."

"True. I wouldn't want anyone near that man-child right now. He's pissed at Quinn for being so far better at anything romantic than he ever will be and that Berry likes someone he can't compete with."

"Plus he's too big. Q and Rachel are perfect sized for each other, cause even if Rachel is fun sized, Quinn is only a little bigger and fits perfectly."

Santana looked like she didn't like that. "Britt, I might be starting to like Berry, but I don't wanna think about Q and her fitting anything together."

"San that would be hot."

"Ew, god no. Quinn's like our sister, so that's just wrong, and Berry is Berry, so super wrong."

Brittany smiled and linked her pinky with Santana's, "Just say it, you like them together."

"No, definitely not." Brittany kept staring at Santana and she finally cracked, "Alright yes, Q will probably chill out Berry's crazy, and Berry will push Quinn to realize that she doesn't have to be like her mom. Happy?"

"Yes!" Brittany laughed at the uncomfortable look on Santana's face, "Don't worry San, I won't tell anyone that you think Q and Rachel are cute together. I like that I get sweet Santana all to myself."

Brittany wrapped Santana in a hug and continued to wait on the line until they could order three Carlsberg beers. Walking back over to Mercedes they wandered past the church and into the middle of the courtyard where Brittany could see a waterfall in the back. Then suddenly a boat appeared about to fall over the edge.

"San! That boat's gonna fall!"

"What Brit?" Pointing she watched as the boat stopped and then returned back into the cave that the waterfall poured out of.

Brittany gasped, "Is that a ride San? We totally have to go on it when we're done with our beer."

"Sure Brit, anything you want."

"Okay, I want us to sit with Q and Rach too."

Santana groaned and looked over to where the couple was sitting on their bench sharing their drink. "B, I might be happy for them, but they're so cutesy they'll ruin our rep, and I ain't letting preggers mess up my badassness."

"But San, Rachel already knows that you're a softy and everyone knows you love Q even if you are mean to each other. Only Finn wont be happy and that's not a big deal."

"Actually that's enough of a reason itself. Alright I'll sit with the newlyweds."

"Q and Rach got married!"

"Not yet B, but it wouldn't shock me."

Brittany was disappointed it wasn't true, but hoped that they would get married. She drank more of her beer and looked around to see Sam and Kurt. "I'm so happy that Glee is becoming gay."

"What are you talking about Brit-Brit?"

"Sam. He's so gay now, he's like so rainbow when he's with Kurt."

"I knew Bieber was gay. He totes wants his guppy lips all up on that fairy."

"San be nice, he's just scared to be made fun of. You used to be like that too."

"Alright fine, I'll wait till the gays are drunk and making out before I make fun of them, okay?"

"Yup!" Brittany chugged the rest of her beer and threw out her cup. "Now come on San, I want to fall over a waterfall."

Brittany ran over to where Quinn and Rachel were getting their cuddle on and yelled, "Q! Rach! Come on! I want to go on the ride and you two have to come."

"Of course B, anything you want."

Brittany pulled Quinn and Rachel after her and back to where Santana was smirking at them, until Brittany grabbed her as well and dragged them into the line. "Brit, what about everyone else?"

"Kurt and Sam are having so much fun alone, Mercedes, Mike and Tina went shopping, Puck and Artie are getting more beer and Finn wants to hurt Q so I don't like him."

"Oh. I guess it's just us hot bitches then."

Rachel cringed, "Santana, as nice as I find your sentiment since it included me, I must protest the use of your language."

"Lighten up Tiny, it's all good."

Brittany smiled, "Yeah Rach, Santana definitely spoke English and not that weird one that she and Mr. Schue know."

"You mean Spanish B?"

"Quinn this isn't Spanishland, it's Vikingland. Didn't you pay attention to the Vikings?"

"Brittany I think you mean Norway."

Brittany was confused by what Rachel meant, "No way what Rach?"

Quinn and Rachel shared a look, "Never mind Brittany, let us just enjoy the ride."

"Okay!" Brittany led them into the line in front of the door that was right near the waterfall. Looking at the sign she asked, "What does Maelstrom mean?"

"It is a large whirlpool, Brittany, that in mythology is able to swallow whole ships."

"I don't wanna get eaten!"

Santana wrapped an arm around her, "Don't worry Brit, I wouldn't let anything eat you."

"Thanks San!" Brittany wrapped her arms around Santana's neck and attacked her girlfriend's lips with abandon. She was so happy that they could make out again that she didn't think about stopping.

"Can you two _ever_ keep it in your pants?"

Santana pulled away from her and smirked at Quinn, "Jealous much Q?"

"You wish S. All of your lonely Quinn jokes don't really make sense anymore."

"Yeah, yeah, whatevs."

Brittany held onto Santana as they walked into the building where the line to the boat was surrounded by giant murals of Norwegian sea exploration and work. As they approached the boats Brittany turned to Santana, "San I want to sit in the back row!"

"Anything you wants, you gets Brits."

"Aw, Santana it is so nice to see you being the kind person that is hidden beneath your hard exterior."

"Stuff it, hobbit."

"Hey! Quit it with the nicknames S!"

"This is how I roll Juno."

"Be nice San."

"Fine"

Brittany didn't notice Quinn and Rachel smirking at the Latina, or her glare back, but they did end up getting the back row of the boat that Brittany wanted. It was a classic dragon-head boat that even Brittany knew that Vikings used. They pulled out of the dock and into a dark tunnel.

Suddenly there was an accented voice in the darkness, _"You are not the first to pass this way." _The end of the tunnel suddenly had a light shining at them as the voice continued, _Nor shall you be the last. Those who seek the spirit of Norway face peril and adventure."_

"San I don't think we should go to the light at the end of the tunnel."

"Brit it's a ride we're fine."

"_But more often find beauty and charm." _They came up to the light and found that it was coming out of the eye of a Viking. _"We have always lived with the sea, so look first to the spirit of the seafarer."_

They passed by a Viking encampment and a scene of Viking ships going off to the sea, _"There are those who see Norway's spirit veiled in a land of forests and mystery. Where trolls still walk the waters edge."_

"Trolls? San why would there be little pink haired men walking near the water in Norway?"

"Wrong trolls B."

"_How dare you come here?"_

"_Invaders!"_

"_Stop! This is troll country!"_

A three-headed troll had appeared in front of them with its angry declarations. _"Go away! Go away! Be gone! I'll cast a spell! Yes! Yes! You'll disappear! Disappear! Disappear! Back! Back! Over the falls!"_

The boat reversed course and headed backwards down another tunnel, passing polar bears in an arctic landscape. _"Before recorded time, Norway's spirit ruled the North Seas and beyond. Today Norway's spirit still remains in the great fjords."_

They had entered a fjord and finally backed up over the waterfall in front of another troll before they went down a waterfall on the inside.

"Wooh!" Brittany yelled and threw her hands up, only to realize that the fall was already over. "Aw, no fun."

They passed into the middle of a thunderstorm among North Sea oil rigs. _"Norway's spirit has always been, and will always be: Adventure." _They pulled through a Norwegian town before docking and climbing out.

Brittany felt a major sense of letdown after the short ride, "I wanted to go down a big waterfall. That was the smallest waterfall ever."

"Well Brittany, there are plenty of other rides here in Walt Disney World that would provide the experience that you are seeking. I can assist you in choosing some if you would like."

"Really Rachel?" At the brunette's smiling nod Brittany threw her arms around her in a massive hug, "Thank you Rachel! You're so awesome! Isn't she awesome guys?"

Quinn smiled widely, "Yeah, B, I think Rach is pretty awesome too."

They stood looking at the fourth member of their group, "San?"

"What? Oh, alright fine, Berry you're pretty nice for someone who probably can't reach the pedals and drive a car. Happy?"

"Yes!" Was resoundingly echoed from all three of the others.

They walked through the town and entered into a theater where everyone was seemingly walking right out the other side. "C'mon B, I ain'ts waiting for this movie."

"Santana! This is a very educational experience! You can't just walk out!"

"Watch me Berry."

Brittany decided that Santana was right since she didn't want to learn anything either. They weren't in school so why even wait? Plus she didn't like learning very much anyway.

They headed out while Quinn and Rachel remained behind to watch the movie. Waling out they ended up in a gift shop where there were a lot of random items from Norway. Brittany immediately grabbed a Viking helmet and put it on. "Look San, I'm a warrior!"

"Damn straight, sexiest warrior I've ever seen."

Brittany put it back and they wandered around until Santana started laughing, "What San?"

"Look at this!" She walked over to a section filled with troll dolls. "They look like Berry!"

Brittany looked at them and saw that they were tan and short with really big noses. "San that's not nice. Rachel helped you, you should be nicer to her."

"But…" Brittany frowned at her and Santana sighed, "Fine, Brit. But Glee will be far less fun now."

"What? Are we gonna stop singing and dancing?"

"No, B. We're still gonna dance."

"Yay!" They continued through the store until they reached the outside and were back into the courtyard. "San, what are we gonna do now?"

"I don't really know Brit, guess we gots to wait for the walking guide book and find out."

"We have a walking guide book? A guide book can walk?"

"No B, I meant Rachel. She knows what's going down so we got to wait for her."

"Okay, but I want to get back to drinking soon."

"Yeah, me too Brit."

They wandered around waiting for everyone to meet back up in the middle, until Quinn and Rachel finally showed back up. "Took you two long enough."

"Well Santana if you had stayed you wouldn't have had to wait."

"Whatever, Brit wants to know what's next."

Rachel turned on lecture mode, "Well that would be the Chinese pavilion, which is next if we continue on our current course around the lake."

"Chinese? Isn't that where Mike and Tina are from?"

* * *

Mike tried not to get annoyed since it was Brittany and he knew that she one, didn't actually know better, and two, wouldn't try to be hurtful to them since they were close with their shared love for dance. But it was still annoying to have to hear more about them being Chinese all the time. Even if it was true for him.

He was about to correct her when Rachel cut in, "No Brittany, although China is in Asia where both of their ancestors came from, they are both from America. If you were technically talking about their ancestors, then yes Mike does have a Chinese heritage, but Tina's heritage is Korean."

Mike was stunned to know that Rachel knew where they were actually from, but was grateful that she had explained it. "Oh. Well can we go then? Me and San want to drink."

A chorus of agreement went up and Mike joined in, as he was ready to continue as well. "Yes, well just follow me."

They followed Rachel and Quinn as they led them back out of the courtyard toward the edge of the lake and then left toward a large gateway that clearly looked Chinese. Before they got to the gate leading into the main area of the pavilion, Puck finally seemed to realize that he was the one who knew about the spots to go to. "Yo, Berry the drink stand is called the Joy of Tea Stand."

"You mean that place right there Noah?"

They looked to the right and saw that outside of the gate there was a stand across the way, right on the water. "Oh… yeah, nice call Berry."

Mike shook his head and walked over with Tina to look at the menu of the stand. "Babe, what do you want?"

The goth girl turned and answered, "Can you get me the Mango Gingerita?"

"Anything for you babe."

Mike got on line while Tina went to stand with the others who didn't have ID's. He ended up behind Quinn in the line, so he asked, "So how's everything going with you and Rachel?"

The blonde turned and smiled, "Great. I'm a little worried for her doing this drinking game, but other than that everything's perfect."

"That's good, I'm happy for you Quinn."

"Thanks, Mike."

The boy looked around and saw Santana and Brittany all over each other again after their odd morning, so he figured Quinn might know happened. "So, what happened between your minions and how'd Santana make up for it?"

Quinn scowled, "They aren't my 'minions' Mike."

"_Sure_ they aren't."

"Whatever. And to answer your question I honestly don't know, but Rachel talked to Santana and everything's back to normal so I won't question it."

Mike laughed, "Yeah, probably a good idea."

They passed through the line until they got to order, where Quinn ordered the Canto Loopy and he got Tina's Mango Gingerita and a Tsing Tao beer. They walked them back to their girlfriends and passed them their drinks. "Quinn, what did you purchase for us this time?"

"It's cantelope juice and vodka, so try and not down it like you did the margarita."

"Quinn! I am perfectly in control of myself."

"For now."

Although the last part was said under his friend's breath he knew that everyone heard it and he couldn't help his chuckle. Unfortunately Tina did as well and Rachel had heard it all and decided to take a _very _large gulp.

"Rach! Stop that!"

Quinn grabbed the drink away and held it away from Rachel. "That's what you get for being a meanie Quinn."

"Rach, I'm not trying to be mean, but you _are _tiny and I don't want you getting too drunk."

Rachel started pouting, "Fine."

Mike and Tina couldn't help the laughter at the couple's banter and the fact that Quinn was actually able to get Rachel to calm down when she could easily have diva'd out. "It's nice that you two calm down the worst in each other."

He probably should have shut his mouth, as he received identical glares and a simultaneous, "What does that mean?"

"Uh, just that Quinn seems to stop any diva-ness from Rachel, and Rachel brings out nice Quinn."

"Friend or not I will smack you Mike."

"Uh-oh, scary Quinn, time to bounce."

He gave her a quick smile, took Tina's hand and began to walk away. They walked through the pavilion and Mike did appreciate the effort to bring at least a part of the culture of his ancestors to life. They walked under the gate and into the pavilion, over footbridges and ponds and through bamboo groves, just enjoying their drinks and each other's company.

They came out into the center of the pavilion and ended up in front of a large store with a sign that read The Yong Feng Shangdian Shop. Tina turned to him, "You wanna go in and get our fix of Asian culture?"

"Sure, you know I'm missing eating dim-sum every night."

Missing her eye roll they entered and found that the shop was actually not really touristy at all and was fairly nice. Wandering around they looked among china teapots, jade carvings, oriental carpets, and even a jewelry section. "This is actually really nice."

Mike looked down at Tina, "Yeah, it does actually make China look good, which is nice with all the bad publicity we get most of the time."

Walking back out of the store they headed back out to the front of the pavilion where others of the club seemed to gather to head on to the next country. They were gathering near a bridge that led on to the next part of the Showcase.

As they approached Mike could see that the alcohol was beginning to get to some of the less experienced members, especially Rachel who was flushed and trying her best to keep all of Quinn's attention on her while she buried her face in the blonde's chest. Mike wondered what the two would do when Finn saw them cuddling all day, but figured Quinn would deal with it like she always did: by being extremely possessive and angry. He hoped this didn't cause any problems.

* * *

Rachel loved the new drink that Quinn had gotten them in China. Not only was it flavored with a delicious fruit juice, but it had also left her feeling great. She could feel her cheeks and ears heating up as a warmth filled her chest. She couldn't help the unstoppable urge that she had to be near Quinn and she was acting on it freely by taking advantage of her place under Quinn's arm to lean her head against the blonde's chest.

"Quinn! What was the name of the drink you got us?"

"It was called a Canto Loopy Rach."

Haha, _loopy_, Quinn! That's a great name! I feel loopy right now! Can we have another?"

"No Rach, we most certainly are _not_ getting another right now."

Rachel was confused and started her patented pouting face, "Why not? It was so delicious and I feel so awesome!"

"Rach you are getting drunk quick, and we need you to slow down or we're gonna have problems."

"I'm not drunk." Rachel kept pouting but buried herself further into Quinn and without even thinking about it changed subjects, "Quinn? Can we go somewhere by ourselves? I wanna kiss you, but we cant with Finn around."

"No Rach, we told Schue we would stay with the group and if we don't who knows what he might do to punish us. I don't want him to take away any songs from you."

Rachel knew that Quinn had a point, but her head was fuzzy and she wasn't thinking perfectly straight. All she could focus on was that Quinn didn't want to go anywhere with her. "Do…do you not want me anymore?"

"What! What are you talking about?"

"You don't want to drink with me and you don't want to kiss me. Please don't leave me Quinn."

Quinn pulled her tighter to her body. "Rach, I'm not going anywhere. You're making this all up in your head and the alcohol is talking. You know I only want you."

Rachel felt a hundred times better, "Aw, Quinnie! I only want you too!"

"Quinnie?"

"What? I like it. I think it shows the sweet side of you that you have shown me over the last three days."

"I don't mind a nickname Rach, but Quinnie is what my Mom calls me. I would prefer something else from my girlfriend."

Rachel started giggling uncontrollably into Quinn's shoulder, "Okay fine! But I will have to think of a new nickname and it might take some time."

"It doesn't matter what you call me Rach, I'll still feel the same way about you."

Rachel felt her chest swell and took a minute to enjoy everything that had happened in the 72 hours since they had left school on Friday. She already felt so much closer too and happier with Quinn than she ever had with Finn, and she was believed that she had become friends with Santana, her other main tormentor. She didn't know what else could possibly make what she had better.

Unfortunately her bubble was burst by the more enthusiastic than ever Noah, "Yo! Three down, eight to go! Time to move on to Germany and get our Oktoberfest on!"

Rachel missed why this was exciting, but the rest of the club other than them seemed to be very excited to go drink beer. They moved out of China and across a bridge to a small area that was set up like an African outpost. "Rach, I thought Germany was next?"

"Yes, it is, Quinn, but there is a small outpost first that rather pitifully represents the entirety of Africa. I have to say that I am rather offended by its portrayal of the country of my people."

"What are you talking about? You're Jewish."

"I am half African-American Quinn!"

"I know that one of your Dad's is black Rach, but—"

"But nothing Quinn!"

"I'm not trying to upset you Rach, but don't you look like your Jewish dad?"

Rachel felt herself deflate, "Quinn my looks come almost exclusively from my mother."

She could feel Quinn tense up and knew that this conversation was going badly. "Oh, Shelby…right."

Trying to redirect Rachel hurried to respond, "So! I will continue to feel that my African ancestors are being underrepresented and I would like your support in my efforts!"

"Sure Rach."

Rachel got a small smile from Quinn before they headed towards the two small buildings that made up the outpost. Rachel knew that they would need to have a conversation about Shelby and Beth one day, but she didn't want to have it now. She was having a tremendous amount of fun on their vacation, and was even enjoying their drinking adventure. There was no way that their awkward familial ties would affect them this week.

She saw that Puck and Artie were heading over to one of the buildings, which she identified as the Refreshment Cool Post. "Where are they going?"

"To get more beer."

"Oh! Can we?"

"Not yet."

"Why?"

She knew that her whining was probably unbecoming but Quinn just smiled at her, "Because miss diva, you need to wait some more before you have another."

"Fine, but I am most certainly having another in Germany. I have found that this is very enjoyable."

"Okay, fine. But I want you drinking water and eating too. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"That is so sweet Quinn! Don't worry, whatever you think is best I will do Quinn, as I trust you and your judgment."

"Then let's do it."

Rachel held onto Quinn as they waited for the boys to get more beer and she wondered what else could possibly happen on this trip to change their worlds any more than they already had. But whatever it was she wasn't afraid because she knew that Quinn would be there with her.

**A/N: Sorry this took so long but school has been unbelievably hectic the last two weeks and I didn't have any time to work on this. Trying to go through everyone's POV qt least once while drinking around the world so the rest of this day in story will end up being a few chaps, but it will set up everything for the rest of the story with different plot points set up starting with this one so it's important enough to take a few chaps to do.**


	13. Germany Italy USA Japan

**Title:** Real Magic- Chapter 12

**A/N: This chap is probably gonna be a quick transitional rush through some of the countries b/c although the DATW is fun, I need to get to moving through to the progression of the plot I want to get to.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, the Walt Disney Company, or anything that both entail within.**

Artie was feeling pretty great by the time that they had gotten to the Outpost. He had joined Puck on their quest to drink around the world and it was a good choice as since they were both trying to get drunk quick and enjoy the mayhem that would follow. This had led to them going double on the Carlsberg in Norway, in addition to the Dos Equis in Mexico and Tsing Tao in China and it led to them being the only two drinking at the non-country Africa.

"So what brew are we going for now?"

Puck smirked as he looked over at the Refreshment Cool Post, "They got this beer called Safari Amber that they only sell here so we're all up on that exclusive stuff."

"No doubt man."

Artie rolled over to the side as Puck got on line and went to order their drinks. He decided to scope out everyone else since he had mainly been chilling with Puck and found that the group was all in the vicinity, but was spread out somewhat. Quinn had Rachel under her arm where the smaller girl was clinging to the blonde's body; Sam, Kurt, Mercedes, Santana and Brittany were hanging out under one of the overhangs playing around with a set of African drums; Mike and Tina were wandering around hand-in-hand and Finn just seemed to be hanging nearby on his own, looking mad at the world.

Artie figured it was over the fact that his two exes were now dating, even if he didn't know the exact nature of their relationship. The tall boy finally turned away from the two and got into line with Puck. It wasn't long before the two were walking over to him. "Here you go dude."

"Thanks bro." Taking his beer, Artie took a sip and found that it was a decent beer, but not anything special. However from the way Finn was pounding his you might think it was the nectar of the gods. "Finn, buddy slow down some or your gonna get smashed."

Finn finished his beer before scowling, "That's the point."

Artie shared a look with Puck, before the latter asked, "What's wrong with you man?"

"Rachel and Quinn is what's wrong! Rachel keeps avoiding me and I know it's Quinn's fault! She's doing something to Rachel and we need to stop her before Rachel gets hurt."

Artie was amazed that Finn had jumped to this absurd conclusion and didn't really know what to say. Thankfully Puck responded first, "Dude, I think you're jumping the gun on that one."

"What does this have to do with a gun?"

Artie shook his head, "What he meant was that we aren't sure that they're not really friends."

"They can't be friends!"

"Why not?"

"Because! I know that something's wrong and I'm gonna stop with or without your help!" Artie could see that Finn was furious as he stormed off in the direction of Germany without the rest of the group.

Artie was concerned by what Finn would consider to be 'helping' and what he would do to achieve his goals, so he looked up at Puck, "You think we should do something?"

"Nah, I don't wanna tell Quinn."

"Why not?"

Puck grimaced, "Baby mama's an angry drunk and if she finds out she will go off like you wouldn't believe and I don't want to be caught in the crossfire."

Artie didn't really want to cross the HBIC either, "So what do we do?"

"Sit back, relax and hope that we don't miss the fireworks when Finn makes Quinn angry."

The smirk on the other boys face was equal parts exciting and worrying, "Kinda cold man."

Now Puck was laughing, "Serves him right for trying to ruin my girls happiness."

They finished their beers and then Puck rolled Artie over to edge of the Outpost and Germany to get the group headed in the right direction once again. "Yo, we're done drinking so it's time to keep on moving."

The group formed up as quickly as they could with their varying levels of intoxication. It didn't take long for them to notice someone was missing and Santana asked the question on all their minds, "Where the hell did Finnept go?"

Puck answered for them, "He stormed off somewhere by himself."

Artie saw Puck's eyes glance toward Rachel and Quinn and saw looks of recognition in most of the club's faces. "Whatever then, let's bounce, me and my girls wants to get to that primo German beer."

"Then let's go bitches."

"Noah! Language!"

"Sorry jewberry."

Artie could see Rachel looking indignant at the name but Quinn gave her a discreet kiss to her temple before whispering in Rachel's ear and the brunette calmed down immediately. It was great that Quinn was able to calm Rachel down and only hoped that it worked in reverse when Quinn found out about Finn. Otherwise they wouldn't have enough members to compete on Wednesday with one of their members likely in a hospital and another in jail.

Puck took hold of his chair and began to roll him towards the German pavilion, which was similar to the other pavilions that they had encountered over the course of the day with a central plaza area, but the German one was at the back end of what resembled a street between two sets of German buildings. They entered the street at the end that opened in front of the lake and began to make their way down towards wherever Puck said the beer was.

Unfortunately Artie couldn't see Finn anywhere and didn't know what to make of his absence.

* * *

Quinn was glad that Rachel had calmed down a little during their respite at the Outpost and figured the girl had a ridiculous tiny person metabolism that was burning off the alcohol quickly. According to Quinn's watch it had now been around two hours since they had started drinking, but also forty-five since they shared their drink in China.

They walked with the group into Germany and followed Puck as he led to the right side of the 'street' and over to a counter with an awning that simply said Bier. Looking at the menu Quinn turned Rachel and asked, "So what do you want?"

"I don't know what to get. I don't want beer, but I don't know what else to get. I think of heard of one of them before, that jager-something."

"Jagermeister? Yeah it's pretty popular drink. You want that?"

"Sure."

Quinn left her girlfriend while she got on line and waited to order. She wasn't sure a shot of jager was the best idea, but she would live with the consequences if it went bad. Getting their shots Quinn walked back to Rachel and handed hers over. "Well bottoms up."

Downing her shot Quinn grimaced slightly from the burn, but she heard Rachel coughing away. "Oh my Barbra!"

"Rach, have you ever had a shot before?"

"No!"

Quinn didn't want to laugh, but it was hard to stop herself. Trying to keep a straight face she said, "Alright well just let it out and it'll get better and we can find something to eat to help with the taste and the burning."

Rachel coughed some more before she said, "Okay let's go."

Heading away from the rest of the group Quinn led Rachel further into Germany and looked around at the stores that lined both sides of the street. Deciding to cross the way they entered the first store at the top of the street and Quinn was excited to see it was called Karamell Kuche, and wasn't disappointed by what she saw.

The store was a large candy store with freshly made caramel and chocolate treats. Looking at the display case to see what they served, Quinn asked, "Is there anything here you can eat?"

Shaking her head Rachel answered, "Caramel is made with cream."

"Damn." Deciding to give up on the store rather than eat without Rachel, Quinn led them back out and into the next shop, which got a big gasp out of Rachel, "Quinn! Look at all of the Christmas decorations."

The shop was filled with Christmas trees, ornaments and other decorations. Quinn did love Christmas, but didn't understand why Rachel was so excited. "Yeah, it's nice Rach, but you're Jewish. Christmas isn't exactly a big holiday for you."

"I know, but I've always loved the season because of the whimsical atmosphere and wonderful decorations."

Quinn smiled at her before they wandered the store. They were forced to stop once more as Rachel dragged them over to one tree. "Quinn, what is this?"

Quinn was rather confused too, as the tree was completely covered in pickle ornaments. "I have no idea." Looking at a sign on the tree Quinn read that it was a German tradition to place a pickle ornament on the tree last and whichever child found it on Christmas morning would get an extra present. "Interesting."

"That sounds fun. Do you do anything like that on Christmas Quinn?"

Feeling disgust well up inside her, Quinn answered tersely with, "No."

Hoping that Rachel got the message Quinn led on to the next shop, which was filled with beer steins and drinking apparel. They looked around briefly, but they weren't as interested by the store as Brittany and Santana appeared to be, as they looked at a pink shirt with Beer Queen on it. They also bypassed the next shop, which was a Wine Cellar, having no use for a bottle of wine.

This led them back outside, now at the far end of the street and into the central plaza. The area was dominated by the fountain and a classic German clock tower. Sensing that it was just about time to head on to the next country Quinn asked, "Ready to head out?"

"Yes Quinn, let us leave this land of beer and pretzels and continue on to the land of breadsticks!"

Quinn looked down and noticed that Rachel's eyes were only half open and she had a look of silly joy on her face. Realizing that Rachel was beginning to get truly drink Quinn wanted to tell her that this game had to end for them or something bad would happen, but she was interrupted.

"Who be talkin' about Breadstix? Now I'm cravin my sticks."

Turning to see Santana and Brittany, Quinn sighed as Rachel answered, "Me Santana! The next country is Italy, a country most famous for its breadsticks!"

"Then let's get goin Tiny."

Her girlfriend and best friends dragged Quinn along, even as she tried to convince them to stop. She gave up as they left the main section of Germany and made their way over towards the space open space before Italy. It was there that Brittany shouted, "Ooh, look!"

Once again being pulled along they came up to a miniature village with a toy train running through it. Rachel squealed in delight, "Aw, Quinn it's so cute!"

"Yeah, of course you'd think that Tiny, it's practically perfect for someone as short as you."

Quinn glared at Santana in annoyance, but Brittany defended her, "San, she's not _that_ small. But Lord Tubbington would totally be the best lord for this little town ever."

"Def, Brits."

Quinn sighed as they started kissing and turned them away, "C'mon, let's leave the lovebirds to themselves and get outta here."

"Okay, Quinn, time to drink in Italy! What are we going to drink in Italy? Wine? Oh, yes, wine! Italian wine! I am very excited! Are you excited Quinn?"

Quinn couldn't think of an answer, as she was _far from_ excited, but she didn't want to upset her ecstatic girlfriend.

* * *

Sam had shocked himself earlier when he had jumped at the chance to have Kurt be his partner for the day. He didn't know where the courage had come from, but he knew that it was growing from the alcohol they were drinking. He had spent the afternoon getting closer to Kurt than he had ever imagined he would be after he had chickened out of coming out during the duet competition.

However despite how the alcohol was allowing him to overcome his normal fear of doing anything that wasn't considered popular, he still wasn't ready to come out. He _did_ still care about his popularity and knew that coming out would destroy the easy life that he had as a jock at McKinley.

But, for now he was enjoying the walk towards Italy with Kurt and the other members of the club and their various levels of drunkenness. The Italy pavilion was easily visible as they approached from Germany as they could see two freestanding columns and a bell tower rising above the foliage.

They stopped off at the Tutto Italia kiosk where Sam got a Birra Moretti for himself and the Col Di Sasso wine for Kurt. Walking around the plaza with their drinks Sam thought that it looked like what Italy might look like if he ever went there.

His time with Kurt in Italy was cut short as Mercedes came rushing over to them, "Hey Kurt, Sam, do you mind if I borrow my fellow fashionista for a minute? I need him to come check out the masquerade things they have here."

"Yeah, no problem."

Sam watched them walk away before wandering around the plaza drinking his beer and observing things like the dais in the center, and the statues surrounding the plaza. It wasn't until he came upon a small alleyway between two of the buildings that he stopped and spit out the beer in his mouth at the sight of Rachel going to town on Quinn's neck as the blonde tried to hold the shorter girl up and get her to stop.

They turned at the sound of him and he could tell that Quinn was worried, while a clearly more intoxicated Rachel just yelled out, "Hi, Samuel!"

Figuring that they were trying to hide Sam walked over to them, as Rachel laid her head onto Quinn's shoulder. "Sam, I really didn't want you to find out this way, but you have to know that me and Rach are together now, and I'm sorry if that hurts you."

Sam actually felt relief now that Quinn was taken, as it eliminated any possibility of him having to pursue her to keep up his straight pretences. "Quinn, honestly it's okay. I'm really happy for you two."

"Really?"

Sam smiled as she gave him her trademark-raised eyebrow. "Yeah, I am. I'm guessing you don't want people to know?"

Quinn looked sheepish as she answered, "Almost everyone knows already, I just didn't want to upset you."

"Don't worry, it could never work between Luke and Leia with Han Solo in the picture."

"That and the fact that they were siblings."

"We look close enough."

They shared a laugh before Quinn said, "Thank you Sam."

"No problem."

Sam watched as Quinn got Rachel to wake from her mini-doze and they walked back out to the plaza. He couldn't help but feel slightly jealous that they had the courage to be open about their feelings, like Santana, Brittany and Kurt. He felt trapped in the reinforced closet that he had built for himself and couldn't help but let his feeling out in the way they knew best.

_**Safe Behind these windows and these parapets of stone**_

_**Gazing at the people all around me**_

_**All my life I watch them as I hide in here alone**_

_**Hungry for the mysteries they show me**_

_**All my life I memorize their faces**_

_**Knowing them as they will never know me**_

Sam had watched as the other gay members of New Directions were out and how much happier they were.

_**All my life I wonder how it feels to pass a day**_

_**Not above them**_

_**But part of them**_

Sam really did wish that he knew what it would be like if he was able to be free with his feelings and how that would change his life from the hidden existence that he lived now.

_**And out there**_

_**Living in the sun**_

_**Give me one day out there**_

_**All I ask is one**_

_**To hold forever**_

_**Out there**_

_**Where they all live unaware**_

_**What I'd give**_

_**What I'd dare**_

_**Just to live one day out there**_

Watching Kurt come back out of the store that he had explored with Mercedes, Brittany and Santana, he smiled at how happy they seemed just being themselves.

_**Out there among the divas and fashionistas as they thrive**_

_**Through my lies and terror I can see them**_

_**Every day they shout and scold and go about their lives**_

_**Heedless of the gift it is to be them**_

_**If I was in their skin**_

_**I'd treasure every instant**_

_**Out there**_

_**Strolling by his side**_

_**Taste a morning out there**_

_**Like all of them**_

_**Who freely walk about there**_

_**Just one day and then**_

_**I swear I'll be content**_

_**With my share**_

_**Won't resent**_

_**Won't despair**_

_**Old and bent**_

_**I won't care**_

_**I'll have spent **_

_**One day **_

_**Out there**_

Sam walked from where he was watching, over to where Kurt and the others were talking. It may have had something to do with the increasing amounts of liquid courage that came from already drinking four beers and finishing his fifth as he walked, but he felt for the first time that today might finally be the day when he would be able to overcome his fear and display his feelings for Kurt. He'd never know what he could have if he didn't try at least once in his life.

* * *

Rachel was feeling very confused as Quinn helped her walk away from Sam and out of the alley where she tried to get Quinn to kiss her. They had drunk a glass of wine together, but Quinn didn't seem very happy then and she hadn't wanted to kiss her and she didn't look happy now. She didn't know why she wanted to hold onto Quinn and never let go, but she was worried that she was upsetting Quinn and that her girlfriend was mad at her.

Looking up at Quinn's face she could see she was not happy, so she asked, "Quinn? Are you mad at me? I'm sorry if I did something, but I've never ever been drunk before and… and… I'm sorry."

Quinn seemed to quickly calm down and answered, "No, Rach I'm not mad at you. I'm just worried that you're getting too drunk and that you need to stop."

Rachel was confused by what Quinn meant by too drunk. Sure she felt a little fuzzy, but she also felt…awesome. "But I feel great Quinn! We are going around the world! I can't stop now."

"Rach, you can hardly walk on your own and you're slurring your words. If you drink anymore you could end up in a ton of trouble."

Rachel didn't want to do anything that might jeopardize her future, but she _really_ didn't want to stop. "But _Quinn_," she whined, "Everyone's doing it. I can't just give up."

"I'm gonna stop too and try and make sure that when we see Mr. Schue in an hour and a half that he doesn't notice that the star of his club is drunk off her ass."

Rachel felt herself sober slightly at that. "Mr. Schue! We need to get sober Quinn! I can't be drunk in front of him!" She dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, "He already doesn't like me."

Quinn chuckled, "Rach, he doesn't not like you, he's just not very organized and a procrastinator and you force him to get his act together and do the actual work and he doesn't like _that._"

"Well if he would be more professional I wouldn't need to take charge so often!"

"I know Rach."

Rachel enjoyed walking around the plaza with Quinn as they looked at the recreations of Italy. There wasn't much to do at the pavilion, so they headed back towards the lake and into the area in front of Italy, where there were recreations of Venetian canals and gondolas on the waterfront. It wasn't long before the club, sans Finn, congregated again.

Santana had an arm full of breadsticks and Rachel couldn't help the laughter that escaped her. Quinn quickly joined in and Santana scowled at them, "Yeah, yuck it up but I know you bitches are jealous. Puck where we drinkin next?"

"The good ol' US of A babe."

"Don't call me that again."

They moved as a group over and towards the easily recognizable American pavilion. As they walked Rachel asked Quinn, "What are we gonna do while everyone else drinks?"

"I don't know specifically. Are there any attractions here?"

Rachel tried to recall and answered, "Well I think there's a show."

"So we can do that, yeah?"

Rachel smiled at Quinn to ease the apprehensive look on her girlfriend's face, "Yes, Quinn that is a wonderful idea."

They split off from the group as they went to go buy drinks and headed into the large Colonial style mansion that dominated the American pavilion. The sign on the building reminded Rachel that the name was The American Adventure, before they entered into a marble floored rotunda that was capped with a domed ceiling held up by marble columns. Rachel appreciated the beauty of the building as they made their way to another room filled with different flags, with escalators going up to the second floor.

They headed through the second floor, down a hallway that led them to a fairly large theater. Rachel noticed that both sides of the theater had six statues that overlooked the seating. Quinn must have too, as she asked, "What's up with the statues Rach?"

Rachel couldn't remember if she had read about it in her guidebook, "Don't know Quinn, but they look pretty."

Quinn sighed, "Still drunk."

"I'm sorry"

"No, Rach, it's not your fault. I just hope you sober up quick so we can enjoy the rest of the day as much as possible."

Rachel lit up, "Aw Quinn, you're so sweet." She quickly gave Quinn a kiss on the cheek as the lights began to dim in the theater.

Rachel sat and watched as Benjamin Franklin and Mark Twain narrated the show to the audience and took them through the most important events in American history. It started with the pilgrims and went through things like the Boston Tea Party, signing of the Declaration of Independence, Revolutionary War, Civil War, and others.

Rachel did enjoy the show, even though it ran a little long and she was tired. When the lights came back on Rachel held onto Quinn as they exited the theater and came out on the outside of the building. Before they could head over to the rest of the group Quinn stopped and said, "I'm just gonna head into the restroom for a minute. You wanna wait here?"

"Sure Quinn."

Rachel waited in the front of the building enjoying the sunshine and thinking about how amazing Quinn had been since the trip started, making sure she had fun, protecting her from herself getting too drunk. When she felt an arm wrap around her shoulder she turned to smile at her girlfriend but was met with the face of someone who she certainly wasn't expecting.

"Hey Rach, I got you this."

Looking at Finn's overeager face, hearing him use Quinn's name for her and seeing him hold out a cup of beer for her all caused her to feel uneasy. "No Finn, Quinn thinks we should be done drinking and I'm waiting for her to come back."

"Come on Rach, she's just trying to hold you back. I promise you'll like it."

She knew that Quinn wanted what was best for her, but she _did_ want to keep drinking with everyone, so she took a sip.

"Great, now come on Rach I want to show you something."

"No Finn, I'm waiting for Quinn—"

"No, I insist."

* * *

Mercedes was having a great time hanging out with the club and getting their drink on at the American pavilion. She had been slightly worried earlier that Santana would be a bitch for being partners with Brittany and being essentially a third wheel after they made up for whatever they were fighting about. But it seemed that the Latina was so happy being back in Brittany's good graces that her bitchiness was kept to a minimum.

Now they were all hanging out with Kurt, Sam, Artie and Puck and getting beer from an outdoor stand called the Fife & Drum Tavern. She waited with Kurt and Artie as the jocks went to buy the beer and it wasn't long before Brittany came bouncing over to her with two beers in her hand. "Here Mercedes, I got you a beer made by some guy named Sam. Do you think it's our Sam?"

Mercedes was too used to Brittany to be shaken by her outlandish conclusions, "No Brittany, I think we would know if Sam was making beer."

"Oh. I wish he was. Then my and Sanny wouldn't have to flirt with the creepy old guy at Seven Eleven to buy our beer."

Mercedes shook her head as the rest of their little group came back together and informed them that they were drinking Sam Adams, which made far more sense than it being Sam Evans. They walked towards the lake and sat together at the concert theater that took up the waterfront of the American pavilion.

It wasn't long before her fellow gossip lover Kurt asked, "Well now that the new power couple is off on their own, what do you guys think about our HBIC falling for the queen of the gleeks?"

Santana was smirking as she answered, "Well you gots to love how every girl the man-child has been with have switched to the home team."

"Yeah that's gotta be a blow to my boys ego."

Puck looked as equally amused as Santana, but he deflated as Brittany said, "But you were with all of them too."

Mercedes didn't know why she found it so funny, but she couldn't stop laughing at the panicked look on Puck's face. "Yeah, but I've been with plenty of other chicks who haven't gone gay. Finn's only been with Baby Mama, my Jewish princess and hell spawn here. Mercedes isn't changing teams, right?"

Mercedes calmed down enough to answer, "Naw, you're okay boy, I'm all straight delicious chocolate."

Puck looked extremely relieved, but Sam took his place with a concerned look, "Uh, I'm happy for them and all, but… Finn really thinks that he and Rachel are getting back together. I don't think he'll take it well when he finds out."

Artie backed him up, "Finn _has_ been trying to re-establish his relationship with Rachel."

"Ha, my girl gots it bad for the Queen of Munchkinland and her royal highness is totally into Q. Finnept has no shot splitting them up."

Kurt answered Santana, "Are you sure? As much as I love not being the only out person at McKinley and think they're great for each other, Rachel did really want Finn for a long time. You think that that has just gone away _completely_?"

"Yeah, I do. Have you seen how attached those two have been? Q has practically glued Tiny to her side and the hobbit loves it just as much. When was Finncompatible ever that into Berry? Q gives her everything she ever wanted from Finncompetent, but he could never give and there's nothing he could do to stop that."

"Totally! They love their sweet lady kisses and Finn's kisses aren't very good."

Mercedes agreed with Santana and Brittany that from what she had seen of the two in their room they were completely into each other. However, before she could voice her thoughts, Puck pointed out, "Well it seems that Finn has shown his face again and he doesn't look happy."

Turning around Mercedes saw that Finn was walking through the center of the pavilion with a beer in his hand and a scowl on his face. "What is that white boy doing? He's been gone for hours."

"Who cares? I've been enjoying my time without seeing his constipated baby face all afternoon."

Mercedes wasn't as anti-Finn as Santana, but he did seem to be angry as all hell and she knew that it probably wouldn't be good if he went off. "Yeah, but if he's angry enough he might do something."

Santana laughed, "What could he do? Q would break him if he does anything."

Mercedes nodded, knowing how tough Quinn was from the time she lived in her house the year before.

It wasn't long before Mike and Tina came walking over to where they were all sitting and Kurt asked, "Hey where have you two been?"

They shared a smile before Tina answered, "We took a walk around and found a nice garden behind the main building."

"I swear you two are as sickeningly sweet as Q and Berry."

They all chuckled when they quickly kissed in front of Santana, but were cut off by a worried looking Quinn running over to them. "Have any of you seen Rachel?"

"I thought she was with you"

Multiple of them all posed the question that Quinn answered quickly, "She was but I went to the bathroom and when I came out she was gone. She's too drunk to be out here on her own, we need to find her!"

"Oh shit." They all turned to Santana who continued, "Finn just showed up a few minutes ago."

Mercedes thought she had seen Quinn angry before, but she had never seen such rage before in her life.

* * *

Finn knew he had outsmarted Quinn for the time being and was feeling rather confident in himself and his plan. It had taken him a couple hours and several beers before he figured it out, but once he came up with the idea to steal Rachel away the instant that Quinn left her side. He had quickly backtracked looking for the club, but found he only had to go back one country from Japan to America before he saw most of the club lounging outside without Rachel or Quinn in sight.

He thought it must be fate that once he found them Quinn left Rachel almost immediately and went into a bathroom. He had jumped on the chance and was now ushering Rachel away as fast as he could.

However he was losing his patience with Rachel trying to get him to stop, "Finn, stop, I want to wait for Quinn."

He couldn't understand what Quinn had done to Rachel to get her to become this obsessed with the bitchy blonde, but he was determined to keep her away from Quinn to fix it. "Rach, we're going to meet Mr. Schue for our dinner reservations."

Rachel looked confused, "But I thought that was later?"

Thanking the fact that Rachel was too drunk to figure out that it _was_ later, Finn answered, "Mr. Schue wanted us to be there early to make sure we get our reservation since we're captains."

"Oh. That makes sense."

Rachel still didn't look happy to Finn. "You should drink your beer. It's good."

"I don't think it's a good idea. Quinn said we should stop."

He couldn't stand that everything kept coming back to Quinn. "Come on Rach, we all agreed to go all around the world. Why stop just because Quinn says so?"

"But…"

"But nothing! Why stop?"

"I…I guess _one _more couldn't hurt."

"Of course it won't."

Finn couldn't help but feel a little smug and smile at his success. He knew that if he could convince Rachel to keep drinking with him he could keep her away from Quinn and her attempts to sober the brunette up.

He also knew that he had a limited amount of time to get away with Rachel before Quinn noticed and started looking for her. He didn't know how many other people knew that Quinn had somehow seduced Rachel other than Santana, but he couldn't trust that they would take his side over Quinn's. She had a ridiculous tendency to get sympathy when she didn't deserve it, especially after what she did to him the year before.

Finn led them out of America and back towards Japan where he had already walked around earlier, so he knew where he could take Rachel without Quinn being able to find them. He led her straight towards some sort of Japanese tower that he didn't know anything about, but turned left right before it and headed up a back path into a secluded eating area next to a wooden Japanese building.

Grabbing a table he sat them down and chugged down the rest of his beer. He had already chugged down nine beers, but his confidence after getting Rachel alone only fueled his feelings that the beer was doing wonders for him. "Hey Rach, I'm gonna go inside and grab us more beer, so you should hurry and finish that one."

"Hm? Oh, okay Finn."

Finn ignored the fact that Rachel didn't seem to know what was going on and went inside the Yakitori House, which while he didn't understand what that meant, he knew that it had beer. He ordered two Kirin's and went back outside to find Rachel still sitting at the table looking around aimlessly.

"Here Rach."

"Oh, thanks." The girl looked at the beer before slurring, "Where's Quinn? I miss her."

Finn felt his anger rising again, but controlled it to try and get to the bottom of Quinn's hold over Rachel. "Why have you been hanging out with Quinn? She's not a good person Rach."

Rachel looked offended and angry, "What! Quinn is… awesome! And she's been so… different… and nice! I want her here now."

The pout on her face over the fact that Quinn wasn't around was awful to Finn. He couldn't believe she had fallen so far for whatever lies the blonde had fed her. "Rach she used to throw slushies, and call you horrible names in school and on your MySpace. Why do you think she's really any better now?"

"Because she's different now."

"No she's not Rach, she won't ever change and you shouldn't believe whatever she's been saying."

Rachel looked to be on the verge of tears, "Why are you being so mean?"

"Because you need to know this before she hurts you."

Rachel began to try and stand, but was having a great deal of difficulty keeping her balance, "I don't want to be here, I want to go back to Quinn."

Finn stood to stop her, "I'm sorry Rachel, I didn't mean to make you mad. I just don't trust Quinn."

"Well I do, so stop being mean."

Finn knew he had to do damage control, "Okay, I won't say anything about Quinn, but it's time to go find Mr. Schue."

"Oh… yes, fine, let's go."

Finn helped Rachel up and led her around the building to the main plaza of Japan and was shocked to see that the rest of the club had appeared and seemingly already tracked them down and were running around looking for them. He could see Quinn with Santana and Brittany and she looked pissed. He knew it was probably because the Cheerios had to do something to hurt Rachel and he was protecting her from them.

Finn knew he would have to be careful getting around without being seen, but thankfully he only had to get across the pavilion and up the stairs to the restaurant and Mr. Schue before they couldn't do anything to separate him from Rachel.

He smirked as he watched most of the group head into the department store underneath the restaurant and give him a clear shot to get across. "Rach, we've gotta go up those stairs to find Mr. Schue."

"If you say so."

He lead her quickly over to the stairs and held her up to go up to the restaurant. They walked through the front door to find Mr. Schue waiting for them. "Hey, Finn, Rachel. How's your day been?"

"Good Mr. Schue, we've all been hanging out together since we left you this morning. Everyone else should be here in a minute."

"Great guys." He stopped and looked curiously at Rachel, "Is everything okay Rachel?"

Finn panicked, "Oh, she's great Mr. Schue, just a little tired and not feeling great."

"Oh. Hope you feel better Rachel."

Finn didn't want her to talk in front of Mr. Schue so he quickly asked, "So when are we going to be seated at our table, Mr. Schue?"

"Well I already checked in, so they should be able to seat us as we come in, let me just ask."

Finn watched Mr. Schue walk away toward the hostess and worried how long it would be before the club showed up for their dinner. He looked out the window of the front of the restaurant and saw that they had all gathered back in the center of the plaza.

"Hey Finn, they're going to seat us as we come in, so just follow them in."

Finn felt nothing but triumph as they were led down a hallway into a dining room with four tables, each of which was built around a large cooking surface with eight chairs set around three sides of the table. They were directed to the two tables on the left side of the room, so Finn took Rachel to the last two chairs on the farthest side of the back table. He made sure Rachel sat on the far outside chair so he was the only one sitting next to her.

Noticing that Rachel's head was drooping and she was out of it, Finn whispered, "Rach, you need to stay awake so Mr. Schue doesn't know you were drinking."

"I'm so tired…" She tried to sit up and seem alert, but Finn knew it was a losing battle and any close inspection wouldn't go over well.

It wasn't long before the rest of the group filed in and he could see that a large majority of them didn't look happy, and that Quinn seemed ready to kill him. "Okay, everyone take a seat at one of the two tables and we'll get to dinner."

Seeing that Quinn was making right for Rachel, Finn called out, "Mr. Schue can you sit next to me so we can talk about song ideas?"

"Sure Finn! Great initiative."

He smirked at Quinn, as she was held back by Santana.

* * *

Quinn had never been angrier at a single person than she was at Finn right now. As soon as Santana mentioned that Finn had shown up again she _knew_ that he was responsible for Rachel's disappearance and she didn't trust him in the slightest.

They had quickly spread out among the American pavilion searching and hoping that Finn hadn't gone far, but no one found a trace, so they had turned their search to Japan. The whole group hurried over and gathered in the center of the pavilion. "Alright it's 5:30 and we have fifteen minutes to find Rachel before dinner and Finn gets himself under Mr. Schue's protection, so hurry up and find her!"

Quinn led Santana and Brittany into the first store to the right of the pavilion and walked into what she could only describe as an explosion of Japanese pop culture. Between the Pokemon, Hello Kitty, and countless other toys, Quinn had a strong feeling that Finn wasn't here.

"Ooh! San, look at all the awesome stuff!"

But Brittany apparently was right at home among the various plushies and toys. "Brit, we can look later, but we need to find Berry."

"Oh, yeah. Don't worry Q we'll find Rachel."

She tried to calm down when talking to Brittany but it was exceedingly difficult, "Thanks B."

Quinn led them through the store passing by an oyster pearl extraction station, bookshelves, and a rack of swords and into a large clothing section where they met Kurt, Sam and Mercedes. "Did you find anything?"

"No Quinn, and I don't think we have any choice but to go upstairs to the restaurant, since Finn is probably there already."

It took a great amount of restraint to not take her aggression out on Kurt, but she couldn't help but storm out of the store and head straight for the large staircase that led to Teppan Edo. She saw other members of the club falling in behind her as she hurried up and entered the lobby to find Mr. Schue waiting.

"Hey everyone! You're all right on time, which is great. Finn and Rachel have already gotten here, so we're ready to go on in."

Quinn was on the heels of the hostess as they walked down a hall to a dining room where she could see Finn with Rachel in the back of the room.

Mr. Schue spoke up from behind her, "Okay, everyone take a seat at one of the two tables and we'll get to dinner."

Quinn made straight for Rachel, determined to get her away from Finn when he called out, "Mr. Schue can you sit next to me so we can talk about song ideas?"

"Sure Finn! Great initiative."

Quinn had to be held back by Santana as she watched Finn smirk at her, gloating in what he must have thought was victory. "Q you can't do anything yet. Just wait, we'll get your girl back."

She didn't want to admit that Santana was right, but she had no real recourse in front of Mr. Schue in a crowded restaurant. Quinn let Santana lead her over to the first table, where Santana and Brittany sat on the end and she sat at the first chair on the long side. Mike and Tina joined them, while Mercedes, Kurt, Sam, Puck and Artie filled the rest of Rachel's table.

From her seat Quinn only had to turn her head left to have a perfect view of Rachel and she was worried by what she saw. When she had last seen her girlfriend she was drunk, but had begun to sober up after the show they watched. Now Rachel looked like she was ready to pass out and had little idea what was going on around her.

She could feel her muscles tense as she saw Finn put his arm around Rachel and she wanted to put an end to everything, but Santana grabbed her forearm. "Q you need to calm down."

"How do you expect me to calm down!" Quinn whispered harshly.

"You don't have a choice Q. You can't just get up and attack Schue's golden boy because he is sitting with Rachel. Schuester expects them to be attached to the hip and he won't take your side if you start a fight."

She knew Santana was right, but she didn't trust anything Finn did especially as the waitress came around to take drink and appetizer orders. She could hear Finn from where she was sitting and couldn't believe what she heard. "Hey Rach, I'm gonna order the Wafu Ribs for us as an appetizer, okay?"

Seeing that Rachel was too out of it to respond she pulled out her phone and texted everyone at their table: **She is Vegan!**

Thankfully Kurt got the message and said, "I think that Rachel wouldn't want to eat _meat_ Finn, and that she'd probably enjoy the edamame."

Rachel seemed to gain some cognizance and answered happily, "Yes Kurt I love edamame."

"What's edamame?"

Quinn rolled her eyes at Finn's ignorance and Rachel answered, "Soy beans! A deliciously vegan food Finn!"

"That sounds gross. Why would anyone want to eat that?"

Quinn felt her anger lessen from the humor of Finn making an ass out of himself and Rachel pulling away and looking offended. "Some of us care about the lives of cute little animals!"

Quinn couldn't help but laugh loudly, which drew Rachel's focus over to her. "Quinn!"

She waved back to her girlfriend, who was suddenly exhibiting rather hyper behavior. "Quinn come here!"

Quinn smirked at the panicky face on Finn as she got up and walked over to their table. Leaning in close to Rachel she whispered, "Hey, I was worried when you were gone."

"Oh, Quinn. I didn't want to go without you, but Finn said we had to go see Mr. Schue as captains."

Quinn tried to remain calm, but the way that Finn used Glee to trick Rachel away from her angered her all over again. "What did Mr. Schue want?"

Rachel gained a look of total confusion, "Uh… nothing? Is that weird?"

"It's not weird because Finn was only trying to keep you away from me."

Quinn loved how indignant Rachel became, "Why! I love being with you and I want to spend all of our time together and—"

"I get it Rach. I wanted to spend the whole day with you too. You want to come sit with us? We have more room at our table."

"Yes! That sounds lovely Quinn!"

"Okay." Quinn helped her get up and turned to Finn and Mr. Schue, "Rach is just going to come sit with S, B and I for a while."

"That sounds great Quinn! It so good that you all have become friends!"

"The very best of, Mr. Schue"

Quinn shot a quick smirk at Finn before walking with Rachel back to her table to find that Mike and Tina had moved over to let Rachel sit next to her. Sitting down Quinn moved her chair and Rachel's together and held her girlfriend so close she was almost sitting in her lap. "God I missed you."

"I missed you too Quinn."

"Definitely didn't miss your cavity inducing sweetness while you were gone."

Quinn turned to tell Santana off, but Rachel cooed, "Aw, Santana I missed you too. And you Brittany."

"Yay! Rachie is back!"

Quinn finally felt good again and was ready to enjoy their dinner. She didn't even care about dealing with Finn anymore. It could wait until later.

Quinn enjoyed just sitting with Rachel again and the small banter between her best friends and girlfriend. They even tried Rachel's edamame, and while not terrible, wasn't something Quinn could even imagine giving up bacon for.

Seeing as the whole meal was on Mr. Schue and McKinley's dime, Quinn, Santana and Brittany decided to order the Filet Mignon entrees, while Rachel got the Yasai vegetables. It didn't take long for their chef to come to their table and started their show/dinner.

All of their food was cooked on the surface before them, with their chef adding fun tricks like flipping Tina's shrimp tails into his hat and making a volcano out of an onion. They all had a great time interacting with their chef and Quinn wished that they didn't live in a small place like Lima where they had nothing as cool as this.

After they finished eating Rachel seemed to have sobered up some again. "You're looking better again."

"Yes, I think the noodles and rice have helped and it's been a while since I drank anything."

"Good, I want to spend the rest of today together without any distractions."

"I would enjoy that as well Quinn."

Quinn heard Santana scoff, "Well you girl-scouts have fun with that, but me and Brits are gonna finish this."

Quinn smirked back, "Well then we'll just have to stay with you and witness you making an ass out of yourself."

"I don't get sloppy when I drink Q."

"Sure you don't, except for that time in freshman year when—"

"Shut your mouth Q afore I ends you."

Quinn couldn't help her laughter despite Santana's sulking and angry looks and Rachel's confusion. "Do I want to know?"

"Not if you don't want Santana to kill me."

"Okay."

They enjoyed the rest of their dinner until Mr. Schue stood up to talk to all of them. "Okay everyone, this has been a great dinner and I hope everyone enjoyed it. From what I can tell your group day has gone well, so I don't think you need to worry about it anymore, but everyone has to be back in the rooms by Eleven for curfew. Now go have fun."

Quinn joined everyone heading back outside and as soon as possible joined Rachel, Santana and Brittany on a beeline away from everyone and the possibility of being stuck _anywhere_ near Finn.

As they headed into Morocco, Quinn thought to herself that nothing could possibly happen that could be worse than the past few hours. She was sure that the rest of the trip would be perfect.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, another chapter down, getting started on next right away before I get swamped with work again next week. Gonna finish Epcot next chapter and I have two songs planned. Figured I'd let people guess what songs they will be in their reviews and see if anyone can get it right, so we'll have Puck getting into trouble and Kurt with a song in similar vein to Sam's this chapter, but more focused on not ever expecting love. So go ahead and review and guess and anyone who gets it right will get a shout out next time.**


	14. Morocco France UK Canada

**Title:** Real Magic- Chapter 13

**A/N: End of the day in Epcot, couple of songs, and the reappearance of Sue.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, the Walt Disney Company, or anything that both entail within.**

Puck was having a great laugh at how awkward everyone felt around an angry and outwitted Finn as they left the restaurant. It had been hard enough talking to him at dinner in front of Mr. Schue, but now the whole thing was becoming a joke and he loved every minute of it.

He was still pushing Artie's chair, so they had to wait for the elevator and by the time they were done everyone else had already cleared out. "So are we going to keep going on your drinking quest?"

Puck couldn't believe Artie would even ask that, "You bet your ass we are man. We got Morocco up next."

"Are they really big on drinking in Morocco? It's an overwhelmingly Islamic state."

Not really positive why that mattered or how Artie knew that, Puck still answered, "Yeah, you're supposed to be able to do every country, so they've got to have something."

"Word"

As they headed towards the next country Puck wasn't sure what to expect. He knew that they had alcohol, but obviously not what kind. And according to Artie they were all Muslims and he was a Jew. It was like walking into the lion's den.

He did think that it looked stereotypically Islamic walking up to the country and was thankful that the drink stand was right at the front when they got there. He went up to see what they had and was pleased to see that they had a beer called Casablanca. Buying two he headed back to where he left Artie and began to drink his beer.

"Hm, not bad, but nothing special either."

Artie looked at him and asked, "How much beer do you drink that you act like an aficionado?"

Puck laughed, "C'mon man, I drink all the time. It's not my fault most people are gullible as all hell and keep serving a seventeen year old."

"Excuse me? Did I just hear you correctly?"

Puck felt his stomach drop as he turned to see an employee staring right at him. "No, I was just joking man! C'mon I'm definitely 21, look at these guns!"

"Why would you joke about something like that? Don't move, I'm calling security."

Puck watched the cast member walk away and could only curse his rotten luck. "Dude you need to bounce, now."

Puck saw a security guard headed towards him and took off.

_Gotta keep_

_One jump ahead of the breadline_

_One swing ahead of the sword_

_I cheat only when I cannot score_

Puck looked back as he ran and saw more guards joining in the chase.

_One jump ahead of the lawmen_

_That's all, and that's no joke_

_These guys don't appreciate my folk_

The crowd of parents and children around him were beginning to catch on that he was in trouble and were all staring him down as he ran by.

**Riffraff! Street Rat! Scoundrel! Take that!**

_Just a single drink, guys_

**Rip him open, take it back, guys**

_I can take a hint gotta face the facts_

_You're my only friend Artie!_

**Who?**

He ran into a group of girls and realized that it was Quinn, Rachel, Brittany and Santana.

_Oh it's sad Puck has hit the bottom_

_He's become a one man rise in crime_

He noticed Finn as he kept running towards the French pavilion.

_**I'd blame parents except he hasn't got 'em**_

_Gotta drink to live, gotta cheat to drink_

_Tell you all about when I got the time!_

The guards were getting closer so he decided that he needed to try a new strategy and lose them somehow. He decided if he could lose eye contact and head back towards Morocco they might miss him.

_One jump ahead of the slowpokes_

_One skip ahead of my doom_

_Next time gonna use a non de plume_

He knew he needed to be more careful. He knew he should've bought a disguise or something to hide who he was. He hid as soon as possible and waited for the guards to run by before booking it back to Morocco.

_One jump ahead of the hitmen_

_One hit ahead of the flock_

_I think I'll take a stroll around the block_

He had slowed down confident that he had given the guards the slip and that he was home free when:

**Stop, cheat! Vandal! Outrage! Scandal!**

_Let's not be too hasty_

_**Still I think he's rather tasty**_

"Zizes?"

_Gotta drink to live, gotta cheat to drink_

_Otherwise we'd get along_

**Wrong!**

Puck was starting to get desperate to get away. He didn't want to disappoint Schue by being caught drunk when he was the one male authority figure to take and interest in his life since his father left.

_One jump ahead of the deadbeats _**(Vandal!)**

_One hop ahead of the hump _**(Street rat!)**

_One trick ahead of disaster _**(Scoundrel!)**

_They're quick, but I'm much faster _**(Take that!)**

He ran back past the girls, Finn and was heading towards Artie who was pointing behind a small outdoor shop and to a railing that led down towards the water. Puck understood and ducked behind the store as he heard Artie say "He ran in there."

_Here goes, better throw my hand in_

_Wish me happy landin'_

_All I gotta do is jump!_

Puck leapt over the railing and waited as he could hear the guards looking around for him, but having no success. He was down near the water on a slope and out of sight of anyone, which eventually led to the guards deciding he must have continued the other way, back to Japan. When they left he climbed back out to see a chuckling Artie to which he had no real response.

"Whatever, let's just get the hell out of here before they come back. I'm done running from rent-a-cops for the day."

* * *

Rachel didn't know what to make of Puck's wild chase through Morocco, but she didn't really take a lot of time to think about it. She was already leaving Morocco to stay ahead of Finn by the time that Puck started his escape act and she still wasn't completely there and cognizant of the full repercussions if he was caught.

Instead she was heading over to France with Quinn, Santana and Brittany after the latter two had finished their beers in Morocco and were ready to move on and finish the loop. Even in her still inebriated state she was excited to be in France with Quinn accompanied by the romantic undertones of Paris.

They all walked into an outer pavilion, and looked to where the rest of the country was built as a Parisian street, similar to Germany. At the end of the street there was a replica of the Eifel Tower that rose high above everything else.

She was startled out of her thoughts when Santana said, "Me and Brits are gonna go get our drink on."

Rachel watched as they walked over to a kiosk that was located near the water before turning back to Quinn. "You know that you can have another drink if you want. I don't want you to have to hold back from doing what you want on my behalf."

Quinn shook her head and answered, "I'm sure that S and B are having fun, but I just want to be with you, doing whatever we want without feeling pressured to drink."

"Well then, what do _you_ want to do with the rest of the day?"

Quinn shrugged, "I don't really know. I'm not sure what else there is to do besides checking out the remaining countries and watching S and B finish getting smashed."

Rachel couldn't really think of anything she specifically wanted to do either. "That sounds good. As long as I'm with you it doesn't really matter what we do the rest of the day."

Quinn smiled and leaned down towards her, "Good, 'cause I feel the same way."

Quinn continued to move towards her and Rachel closed her eyes and tilted her head up waiting for Quinn to kiss her for the first time in what seemed like forever.

"What up bitches, look at the sweet drinks that we scored."

Of course Santana had to interrupt them with her usual bravado at that exact moment. Quinn seemed to be annoyed as well as she asked, "Really S?"

"Calm yourself Q and look upon our greatness."

Rachel looked at what they held and wasn't sure what the big deal was. "You bought pink seltzer?"

"Really Berry? Do you really think that I would be making a big deal about seltzer?"

"…Maybe?"

Brittany, looking overwhelmingly excited, answered for them, "No silly, we got special pink vodka. It's what unicorns drink when they party."

Rachel was still to drunk to come up with a reasonable response to Brittany's latest confusing sentence. "Oh, that sounds nice Brittany."

Quinn didn't seem as accepting as she was, "Yeah S, really worth interrupting us for."

"Oh get over it Q, I know you're jealous of our sparkling pink vodka champagne awesomeness. Besides, you can get your mack on with Berry when we get to the hotel room later."

"No, we can't S, we have Mercedes sharing a room with us."

Santana laughed, "Ha, that's right you are stuck with Wheezy. Well have fun with that, but me and B will be having fun in the master bedroom by ourselves."

Quinn looked ready to pounce on Santana, so Rachel stepped between them, "Okay, let's just have a good time and not get distracted by you two fighting. _Again._"

After receiving a muttered, 'fine' from both they walked into the heart of the country to look around. They walked past a garden and into the area where the majority of the shops were located. Rachel enjoyed their brief trips into the various French specialty stores, which included a bakery and wine and perfume shops. The end of the short street led to a building called Impressions de France, which housed a movie on France.

"No, I ain'ts here to watch documentaries."

Rachel sighed, "You know Santana it couldn't hurt to broaden our horizons to the culture of others."

"Then I'll just visit you and learn all of your Israeli ways, but I ain'ts goin' in there."

Rachel gave up, "Fine, Santana. If you won't see this then is there anything else anyone wants to see in this country?"

They all looked around at each other and no one said anything. Finally Quinn said, "Alright, guess it's time to move on. What's the next country Rach?"

"The United Kingdom."

"What do they gots to drink there, Berry?" Santana asked.

Rachel racked her memory, "I believe there is a real pub—"

"Why the hell didn't you say so, let's go!"

Rachel watched as Santana and Brittany hurried towards the bridge that separated the countries, before she began the same route with Quinn at a far more leisurely pace.

They crossed the bridge and ended up right where they had entered the park that morning, when Quinn stopped. "Rach?"

"Yes, Quinn?"

"I know it's been a long day, and we've both been drinking more than a bit, so if you want we could just go back to the room and spend some time alone in our bed. Maybe cuddle, watch a movie?"

Rachel couldn't believe how considerate Quinn was compared to everyone else she had ever dated, but she loved that she was worried enough to let her end their day early if she wanted. "It is a very tempting offer Quinn, but I do want to see the show Illuminations later. And we have a good history at night shows here."

"Our one night at Magic Kingdom?"

Rachel smiled widely, "It was a very memorable night."

Quinn smiled back, "Then I wouldn't want to break our streak."

* * *

Kurt had been surprised when Sam had volunteered to be his partner in the group's drinking excursion. He had expected that he might end up with Brittany, with Mercedes getting Santana and Finn and Sam being the odd two out because of their best friend status.

But when Sam had chosen him he couldn't help the small feeling of hope that grew. He had guessed that Sam was gay when he first arrived at McKinley, but that idea had died when he started dating Quinn. Now that the two had broken up, Quinn had come out with Rachel and Sam had chosen him as his partner, he couldn't help but wonder if his first instinct wasn't correct. However he still had doubts due to the events of the last few months and wasn't willing to push and get rejected again.

He was enjoying his time post-dinner, as he continued on the world tour with Sam and Mercedes passing briefly through Morocco, which reminded him of his extremely negative encounter with Finn over bedroom decorating. Not wanting an undue reminder of that terrible day, he hurried to move on to France, which had a far greater appeal to him.

It was now dark as they walked, with the area lit by street lamps, creating the feel of a real Parisian night. Mercedes had gone to explore on her own for a bit, leaving Kurt alone with Sam to get a new drink together. Kurt waited by the gardens as Sam returned with two glasses. "I, uh, got us champagne. I've never had it before and thought it would be cool to try."

Kurt tried not to read anything into the choice but he couldn't help himself. Walking through the garden, Kurt couldn't help but comment, "This is all rather extraordinary."

He couldn't help but notice that Sam looked uncharacteristically nervous, "Yeah, it's been cool being here so far. I, uh, I've had fun today."

Kurt tried to come up with an appropriate response without pushing, but all he came up with was, "Me too."

He tried to stay calm as he watched Sam take a step towards him and lean towards him. He was _sure_ that this was it, and that Sam was finally going to kiss him, after months of imagining this very scenario. At the last second however he could see a flash of panic in Sam's eyes as the blonde quickly diverted and placed a quick kiss on his cheek.

He felt a slight disappointment, but was also hopeful that, given time, Sam would be able to accept himself and take the next step. At this moment, the blonde looked panicked and quickly started speaking, "I'm not sure where that came from. Must be because we're in France, you know? Part of the culture and all that. I'm just gonna go find Mercedes."

Although he was disappointed in Sam's initial reaction, he felt more hopeful than he had in a long time.

_So many times out here_

_I've watched a happy pair _

_Of lovers walking in the night_

_They had a kind of glow around them_

_It almost looked like heaven's light_

He could see Mika and Tina walking through France, holding hands and sharing dessert. They did look like the perfect portrayal of what love was supposed to look like, as he had seen over and over again from the various couples that had occurred among his friends.

_I knew I'd never know_

_That warm and loving glow_

_Though I might wish with all my might_

_No boy as openly gay as I am_

_Was ever meant for heaven's light_

He had all but given up hope that he would find someone to love him at McKinley. It was one of the most openly bigoted places that he had ever seen and he hadn't ever expected anything to change.

_But suddenly an angel has smiled at me_

_And kissed my cheek without a trace of fright_

He had never expected Sam to show up and had given up hope on him as well, but now he had seen the proof that he could be loved in their school.

_I dare to dream that he_

_Might even care for me_

_And as I stand out here tonight_

_My cold dark reality seems so bright_

_I swear it must be heaven's light_

Kurt understood that it might not happen immediately, but he was willing to wait for Sam to be ready, because he knew that he finally had a chance at a relationship.

It wasn't long before Sam and Mercedes were walking back towards him, his best friend with some kind of pastry in her hand. He waited for them to come over before he asked, "So, as much as I love the idea of Paris at night, are we going to continue?"

Mercedes answered, "Hell to the yeah! Where to next blondie?"

Sam pulled out a map, "It says the United Kingdom."

Kurt couldn't help but softly groan, causing Mercedes to ask, "What's wrong with the UK?"

"If I thought there would be a focus on Shakespeare and the West End then nothing, but I am sure that it will be all about pubs and fish and chips."

Both Sam and Mercedes looked offended, "What's wrong with fish and chips?"

"Yeah Kurt you know how much I love my fried food."

Kurt shuddered, "Do you have any idea what fried foods do to your skin? I cringe just thinking of the horror."

Mercedes knew him well enough to laugh, "Well we ain't eating dinner now, so let's see what else there is."

Sighing Kurt answered, "Fine." Feeling emboldened by what happened earlier, Kurt linked his arms through both Mercedes and Sam's and smiled when the blonde didn't react negatively. "Let's get on with it."

* * *

Quinn walked through the main street of the United Kingdom pavilion with Rachel on her arm, enjoying every second of it. She could see that there was a bunch of side streets that they could explore, but continued to follow her two overly exuberant friends towards the pub. Watching them disappear through the doors, Quinn looked at the sign and read 'Rose & Crown Pub'.

"Do you want to check it out?"

Rachel looked at her and shrugged, "We have no real other plans. It would be interesting to see the inside of a 'pub'."

"I'm sure it's not all that different from the inside of a bar Rach."

Quinn felt bad as Rachel answered, "I've never been to a bar Quinn. That's something that would have required me to have been invited out to social events and my high school career has not been filled with those."

It hurt Quinn when she was reminded of the way that Rachel had been treated under her reign as Head Cheerio and through Thanksgiving break of their junior year. "Well you'll just have to get used to it, because there is no way I'm going to that continue when we get back."

"Really?"

Quinn gave her a reassuring smile as she opened the door for her, "I promise."

They walked into a rather crowded room where a large, full bar took up about half of the space. There were people around the bar on all sides and it took a second for them to find Santana and Brittany through the chaos. Walking up to them they found the two sitting with a collection of small glasses of beer each and a plate of fries in front of them.

"What's up bitches? Isn't this place great?"

Quinn could see that Santana and Brittany were nearing their limit for alcohol and knew that it would be a bad idea to upset Santana unless they wanted to deal with her weeping all night. "It looks great S. Are you guys going to stay here and drink for a while?"

"Hell yeah Q, we got these beer samplers and we're good to go."

"Alright then." She turned to Rachel and asked, "You want to go look around the rest of the country?"

"Sure Quinn."

"Okay, San we're going to go, so call me when you two are done and we'll meet you guys."

Santana waved them away, "Yeah, yeah we'll call you."

Quinn turned to head back outside, but saw Brittany climbing on a piano in the back of the room and begin to take her shirt off. "Oh god, it's time to go. We can let Santana deal with that one."

Heading back outside, Quinn was quickly pulled forward by Rachel, "Look Quinn! They have those cute telephone booths!"

Quinn followed after and saw that Rachel was referring to the stereotypical red telephone booths that you saw in movies. Rachel half dragged her across and pulled her into one of them so they were encased together. "Well since you dragged us into this booth, is there anything you wanted to do in here?"

"Not really, I just thought that I would have to wait until I'm an international superstar to see one of these, and that is still years from now. I was rather excited to see one before hand."

Quinn smiled at her assuredness of her dream, "Well unless you want to do something that would upset the parents around us, I suggest we get out of this cramped booth."

"Of course Quinn, this is certainly not an appropriate place to engage in physical activities, despite my love of performing for a crowd."

They both had to laugh a little as they exited and began to walk through the back streets. They passed various stores, but didn't really feel a great desire to spend their time shopping. The furthest point in the back of the country was a small courtyard with a large gazebo on one side. It was filling up with people in front of the gazebo, and Quinn wondered what was going on.

"Rach, do you have any idea what's going on."

She watched her girlfriend think for a minute before she got an answer, "Yes! I now recall that they have concerts back here with a cover band who play famous songs by British artists like the Beatles or Rolling Stones."

"That sounds fun. You want to stay and watch?"

Rachel's face lit up, "Yes Quinn, you know that I can't resist a musical performance."

Quinn led Rachel over to a railing on the side of the courtyard and sat on the edge before pulling Rachel into her lap and wrapping her arms around her. Quinn loved that for the first time all day they were alone and she didn't have to hide her relationship with Rachel from Finn. It felt so right to be able to hold Rachel in her arms and she didn't think she would rather be anywhere else.

They remained where they were as the band named British Revolution came out and put on its performance. She enjoyed it as they covered the Rolling Stones, The Who, Sting and the Beatles. When it was all over Quinn felt disappointed that they had to move, but the crowd was dispersing and they would have to meet Santana and Brittany soon.

It only took a few more minutes before she got a text from Santana.

**We got thrwn out whre r u?**

Sighing she told Rachel what it said, before they walked back to the front of the pub to find Santana attempting to look annoyed at a giggling Brittany. "What did you two do now?"

"_I_ did nothing Q, you know how B gets when she's drunk. Her shirt came off and the pervs loved it, but they threw us out pretty quick."

"Does that usually happen?"

All three cheerleaders started laughing as Quinn answered, "Pretty much par for the course."

"Wow." Rachel seemed to have lost her speech while they continued to laugh, but eventually said, "Well then I guess we should probably get a move on and get to Canada since we only have a half hour left."

"Okay." They helped Santana and Brittany up, but the three kept laughing as they walked and Rachel eventually joined in as the four headed to their last stop.

* * *

Will Schuester had found his day at Epcot to be far more entertaining to spend alone than his day at the Magic Kingdom. He found the educational aspects of the park peaked his interest as an educator and he had spent a good amount of time in the Mexico pavilion conversing in Spanish with the various cast members and learning about their lives and experiences growing up in Mexico.

He had spent a good portion of his afternoon in Mexico as it had the closest link to his subject, but he also enjoyed the rest of the countries on his way to dinner. He was happy that the restaurant he had chosen had gone over so well with the kids, but he did detect a lot of tension between Finn and Quinn and he knew that it could end up being a problem for the club.

It was obvious to him that Finn wanted to get back together with Rachel, but from what he saw between her and Quinn the day before he seriously doubted that was going to occur anytime soon. If the confrontation at dinner was any indication this wasn't a problem that would just work itself out overnight. It was going to blow up at some point and someone would get hurt. He just wished it didn't happen on the trip under his supervision.

Now he was finishing his trip around the world showcase and was walking around Canada. He had decided that since it was the end of the day he could indulge himself and buy a beer at the kiosk in front of the pavilion. He knew he probably shouldn't for professionalism's sake, but he only had curfew check left and it was only one beer. He didn't see how it could be that big of a deal to have _one_ beer out of all the alcohol options he had passed over during the day.

As he was walking around he saw Quinn, Rachel, Brittany and Santana all walking towards Canada and they were all in hysterics. He couldn't help but smile and feel proud that the three cheerleaders had accepted Rachel so easily on this trip. It was the exact reason why Figgins had sent them and it seemed to have been a brilliant idea by their principal.

Will walked over and greeted them, "Hey girls, you all having a good time?"

Rachel, as always, was the first to answer him, "Yes Mr. Schuester, it has been another incredible day here. I think I speak for all of us when I say that we are amazingly thankful for the opportunity we have been given."

The other girls all nodded their agreement, "Well I'm glad to hear that. I'm glad you're all getting along so well too."

Santana smirked before she said, "Yeah, well we realized that once you get Berry away from school she's not nearly so anal about everything and can be tolerated for more than two minutes."

Not wanting to be outdone Rachel fired back, "And I came to realize that once you take away the pressure and expectations of popularity that they can all be rather kind and sweet. Especially Santana."

Santana looked shocked and then angry at the description, "I am _not_ sweet."

Rachel was smirking instead of her usual expression of fear at the Latina's outbursts. "Aw, you don't have to hide it just because of Mr. Schue. I'm sure he would like nice you too."

"You best stop afore I ends you Berry"

"Okay fine, I won't tell him about how you were crying—"

"Berry!"

Will watched as Santana began chasing Rachel around and was worried until he noticed that they were both laughing and that Quinn and Brittany were doubled over too. "Wow, I never thought I'd see the day."

Quinn calmed down and said, "Yeah, I wouldn't have believed it either, but they had some kind of heart to heart earlier. It's a lot nicer when they're like this instead of ripping each other's heads off."

"Quinn! Help me!"

The two were still running around laughing, but Quinn turned to him, "We should probably go and stop them now. We'll see you later Mr. Schue."

Will nodded, "Okay. Don't forget curfew at 11."

"We won't."

As they began to walk towards the other two girls, Will called out, "It's really good to see this girls. I'm happy for all of you."

He could see shock in Quinn's eyes, but he just smiled and walked away from their gathering. He _was_ happy for them, but he did still have to worry about what would happen with Sue. From what he saw it was obvious that out of school the four had grown especially close, but he worried the good feelings were going to be limited to the trip.

Sue certainly wouldn't be happy with the new friendships and he worried whether Quinn, Santana and Brittany would put popularity before Rachel. He really hoped not, as he knew that Rachel had to deal with a lot of heartbreak from Finn, Jesse and Shelby and she never dealt with it very well. She was, as paradoxical as it sounded, emotionally strong _and_ fragile and while he knew that if the other three did abandon her she would bounce back eventually, it could do real damage to her ability to trust people ever again.

Will sighed and decided he would monitor the situation and hope for the best. However from what he saw he would bet on a happy ending well before he bet on a sad one, and that was enough of a reason for him to trust that the best would occur.

In the back of his mind he knew that there was also going to be a problem with Finn, but he didn't want to deal with it yet.

* * *

Rachel was still trying to catch her breath as she held on to Quinn. The running hadn't been a problem, but Santana had caught her and decided to get back at her by tickling her relentlessly. "You could have stopped her sooner. You and Brittany just stood and watched for forever."

Quinn didn't seem to be falling for her pouting as she smirked back, "You angered the beast, what did you think would happen? I didn't want to get her mad at me for stopping her."

"At least it's better than if she still didn't like me. Now I don't have to worry about a broken nose."

"S wouldn't break your nose."

Rachel felt some relief, "Well it's good to know she wouldn't go that far."

"Oh, I didn't mean that she would choose not to, she would just choose something else because she enjoys making fun of your nose."

Rachel felt herself deflate and brought her hand up to her nose, "Oh. I guess that makes sense."

"Not that there's anything at all wrong with your nose. I think it suits you perfectly and Santana only does it because of how insecure you feel about it."

Rachel hugged Quinn and murmured, "Thank you," into her shirt.

"You're welcome."

They walked over to a bench facing the lake and sat as they waited for Illuminations. It didn't take long for Santana and Brittany to come over with their final beers in their hands. "Are you two going to be able to make it back to the room after this?"

Santana glared at her, "Don't know, but if we can't then you'll have carry us back then won't you?"

Rachel panicked, "What? I can't carry you back to the room."

"Don't worry Rachel, I can carry Santana back. I usually carry her home after parties."

"Brit!"

Rachel couldn't help the giggles that escaped, but stopped and hid behind Quinn as Santana glared at her. "Oh calm down S, you know it's true."

"Whatever. When is this thing supposed to start?"

"Any minute now."

It didn't take long for the sudden explosion of fireworks of all kinds to light up the sky in front of them. After a few moments of music-accompanied fireworks, the explosions ceased and allowed a giant globe to take up in the middle of the lake. The continents were formed out of thousands of lights and lit up the globe so it could be seen from anywhere around the lake. The lighting began to form different pictures of locations around the world and around the globe water fountains were rising and being highlighted by colored spotlights.

Suddenly the countries all around the lake were illuminated, lights coloring the outlines of their largest buildings. These various states of fireworks, lights and fountains continued for several minutes until everything calmed again.

New music began as the globe was now showing people of all ethnicities coming together in various settings as a chorus began to sing.

_With the stillness of the night_

_There comes a time to understand_

_To reach out and touch tomorrow_

_Take the future in our hand_

_We can see a new horizon_

_Built on all that we have done_

_And our dreams begin another_

_Thousand circles 'round the sun_

_We go on_

_To the joy and through the tears_

_We go on_

_To discover new frontiers_

_Moving on_

_With the current of the years_

Suddenly the globe began to split apart and open up, revealing a giant torch that was set ablaze.

_We go on_

_Moving forward, now as one_

_Moving on_

_With a spirit born to run_

_Ever on_

_With each rising sun_

The flame now had fireworks exploding directly upwards as the song began to end.

_To a new day_

_We go on_

_We go on_

The show came to a finale with hundreds of bright, white fireworks going off in succession, lighting up the night and everyone around.

As soon as the show ended Rachel decided that she wanted to repay Quinn for the way she had surprised her the other night, so she quickly turned to the blonde and pulled the blonde down to her lips. It took a second to get over the shock before Quinn was eagerly kissing her back.

Rachel didn't stop until she felt the blonde pull away and take a much-needed breath. It was in that moment apart that, for the first time, Quinn said, "I love you."

Feeling her breath leave her body, Rachel was stunned for a moment until she looked in the blonde's eyes and saw the truth behind the words. She had no problem saying it back. "I love you too Quinn."

She was back to kissing Quinn immediately with no regard to anything or anyone around them until she heard a gagging sound from behind Quinn and Brittany trying and failing to whisper, "Shh, San they're so cute."

Pulling back couldn't help herself from just staring and getting lost in Quinn's eyes. It wasn't until Santana spoke again that she lost focus, "Okay I'm happy for you two, but the park is closed and we needs to get outta here."

Rachel looked back at Quinn and said, "She's right."

"We could just pick up where we left off when we get to our bed."

"That sounds nice."

"It sounds gross, now let's go."

They got up from the bench together and began to walk in the opposite direction of the majority of foot traffic. It didn't take long for Santana to end up on Brittany's back, getting a piggy-back ride back to their hotel room. Rachel just grabbed hold of Quinn's hand and leaned against her girlfriend's side. The day ended on such an unbelievable high note that Rachel was sure that there was nothing in the entire world that could possibly bring her down.

* * *

Sue Sylvester was a woman who, when she had a plan, would do anything in her power to make sure that her plan came to fruition. So when she had sent Santana to break up the abomination that was Quinn's new relationship she wasn't going to leave that overly inflated teen to her own devices. She had to be sure that things were going smoothly and in her favor.

She had already learned from Becky that Santana had held a motivational speech the night before and she felt that the Latina was off to a nice start. However, getting the rest of her incompetent bimbo cheerleaders to help in her scheme was one thing, but actually succeeding in her quest against Quinn was something else entirely.

Those two had been best frenemies for the entire time that Sue had known them, but the blonde had, other than her unfortunate pregnancy the year before, gotten the better of Santana. She needed to know that the Latina was putting on a continued assault against Quinn and Rachel Berry.

So earlier she had sent Becky out to find the worthless Glee club and report their location to her and she was finally getting a call on her military issue satellite phone, "Five-time national champion Sue Sylvester, you're a go."

"_Coach, the big dopey one just came out of Epcot looking upset."_

Sue knew that it was the former boyfriend of both the girls in question, Finn Hudson, and that if he was upset that was probably where Quinn and Berry were. "Good job Becky, come back to base and run our operations while I go on a reconnaissance mission."

"_Yes, coach!"_

She was pleased at how much more efficient Becky was than her other Cheerios and got ready for her mission. She hurried over toward the park called 'Epcot' and thought it was a ridiculous name. If there was an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow it would be filled with clones of one Sue Sylvester, not mice who had grown fat and lazy off their own reputation.

Sue didn't feel that she needed to go very far, she knew that they would pass by her sooner or later and that when they did she would know how the mission was proceeding.

So she took up a position in the shadows and watched as various members of Schuester's club walked back to their miserable sleeping quarters. She had missed the bumbling-stumbling giant, but was there to see the Asian Siamese twins, the traitors Ladylips and Aretha with the fish mouthed blonde, the delinquent who ruined Quinn and his new pet cripple and even the curly haired cult master himself. However she continued to wait for either of the two pairs that could give her a chance to evaluate the situation, but she continued to sit without any success.

Her patience paid off when she finally saw what she could only describe as an abomination that made her want to cry in shame, only she had no tear ducts. There were all four of the girls, _together_, _laughing,_ with Quinn and Berry holding hands and her supposed minion being carried around by Brittany. The only thing that didn't sicken her was the awesome strength of the Dutch girl, but even that was upset by the fact that Santana was laying her head on the blonde's shoulder half-asleep, but _talking_ to Schuester's little gremlin.

Sue tried to find some way that this could be a part of Santana's plan, but there was absolutely nothing going on that indicated that she was even trying to sow the seeds of dissension. She seemed happy to be in the situation she was in.

When they got close enough Sue strained her hearing to discover what was being said. Brittany's voice was the first to be clearly discernable, "C'mon Sanny, just admit it, you like Q and Rachel together."

Sue couldn't believe her ears, "Brit, I've already said I like them together. That doesn't mean I don't get grossed out seeing Q and Berry suck face in public."

This was worse than Sue could ever have imagined. "Well Santana I have to say that your blessing is appreciated, but in terms of public affection I would have to say that you are far worse than us."

"What!"

Even Quinn was joking and getting along with everyone else, "S every member of Glee and Cheerios have caught you two in some state of undress_ in school_. You two can't control yourselves."

"Yeah well, who could control themselves around this hot blonde."

"Aw, thanks Sanny. You're super hot too and I can't wait to get back to our room and lic—"

"TMI Brittany! I don't want to hear that."

"Don't worry your little virgin ears Berry, it's too hot for you to handle anyway."

Sue couldn't take anymore of the betrayal and started back for her command center. Santana had betrayed her, as Quinn had done before her and the two would bring Brittany down with them. She didn't know how to handle this problem without putting her success with the Cheerios in danger. She would have to decide what her next plan of action was and weigh the pros and cons before she did anything hasty.

Once again she cursed Will Schuester for ruining everything that she had built in barely over a year. His club formed and then all of her problems began. Quinn got pregnant, the high school hierarchy became a jumbled mess, her Cheerios were now dating and befriending losers and now they wouldn't even do her bidding.

She got back to her room in a daze and sat on her couch wondering what she could do to fix everything that Schuester had ruined.

Her reflections were interrupted by Becky asking, "Coach, are you alright?"

Snapping out of it Sue stood up and commanded, "Becky, assemble all of the Cheerios except for Quinn, Santana and Brittany in the morning for an emergency code red meeting. We have work that needs to be done, and I'm going to have to take control of it myself."

* * *

Quinn was so grateful that she had listened to Rachel and stayed for the fireworks. Rachel was right when she said that good things happened when they stayed for the shows at night here. Their first kiss after the fireworks in Magic Kingdom and now she had told Rachel she loved her and Rachel had said it right back. She was riding on cloud nine and hoped that she never came back down.

Now she was walking back into the Beach Club after a long day and she was completely ready to just lie down and hold Rachel, whispering back and forth, until they both succumbed to sleep. Brittany had put Santana down and they had all walked in together, heading to the elevators and their room.

When they got there Quinn was surprised to see Kurt, Mercedes and Tina sitting in the living room in their pajamas. Rachel immediately greeted them, "Hello everyone! What are you all doing in the time we have before our curfew tonight?"

They shared a quick look and giggled, "We're talking about whether Sam likes Kurt or not."

Quinn was wondering if everyone had seen that her fellow blonde and ex seemed interested in Kurt, when Santana scoffed, "Of course Q's twin likes Kurt. That boy is so obviously gay that it's rather shocking he could even bring himself to kiss her."

"Thanks S."

"What? That's a compliment to your girly girl nature."

Quinn shook her head at her friend's own special brand of insanity, before turning back towards the group, "From what I've seen he definitely looks interested in you Kurt, and I can tell you it was never that serious between us. I asked if he was gay on our first date and he denied it, but I would take that with a _huge_ grain of salt."

"Thanks Quinn."

She gave him a small smile and nodded, "Just take it slow and I'm sure everything will be fine. Now if you'll excuse us we're going to go take advantage the fact that no one is our room for a little while."

Ignoring the whistles and cat calls, Quinn pulled Rachel along after her and shut the door behind them. She turned to Rachel and saw that the shorter girl didn't look like she was about to start making out with her. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything is more than okay Quinn, I just would like to spend some time talking about what happened to us earlier."

Quinn knew she should have expected this, so she nodded before lying down and pulling Rachel down next to her. She brushed the hair out of her girlfriend's eyes and asked, "What do you want to talk about?"

"Well, I know that we have gotten into this relationship rather quickly and I want to be sure that we aren't rushing into this too fast. We had our first kiss just 48 hours ago and now we've both said 'I love you'. I just want to see how you feel about this."

When it was put like that it _did_ sound to be moving extremely fast, but they had spent so much time together that it seemed like a lot longer. "I know that objectively it might seem like we're rushing, but I've wanted this for a while and the amount of time we've spent together since vacation started sort of negates that for me."

Rachel nodded, "Yes, when you say it like that it doesn't seem as bad as it did in my head."

Quinn felt a sliver of doubt, "Are you worrying about this because you don't feel that everything is going well?"

"No! No, Quinn, not at all. My time with you has been amazing, I just don't want there to be any doubts or tension in our relationship."

Quinn felt relieved, "Well I don't have any doubts about us right now, and I can truly say that I love you, Rachel Berry."

She could see that Rachel's eyes were tearing up, "Then I guess all I can say is that I love you too, Quinn Fabray."

"Lucy."

She could see the confusion on Rachel's face, "What?"

"My name is Lucy. Lucy Quinn Fabray. No one else knows, but I thought if we're using full names that as my girlfriend you should know that."

She could see that it was taking Rachel a minute to process this new information, but finally she said, "Well then, I guess I would have to say that I love you Lucy Quinn Fabray."

"Good because I'm kind of obsessed with you and it wouldn't be nearly as great if you didn't love me back."

"Well Luce, I'd have to say that I'm kind of obsessed with you too."

Quinn loved hearing a confirmation of every hope that she thought would never be possible just a week before. She just had one qualm, "Good, but could you keep the Lucy thing between us? It's not something I share often."

"You have my word Quinn."

"Great, now I think we have something else to get to since we have some time to kill before it's time to sleep."

They got a good forty-five minutes time to be intimate with each other before Mr. Schue showed up to check on curfew and Mercedes came in to go to bed. They still spent some more time just talking and watching a brief amount of television before turning in. When they did Quinn pulled Rachel close against her and reveled in the feeling of her girl in her arms. If she was being honest with herself, she could easily imagine falling asleep like this every night, from now 'till forever.

* * *

**A/N: Okay end of the day in Epcot after 4 chapters and it feels good to be moving on. I keep flip flopping on which park to do next b/c it doesn't affect the overall plot with Sue, so if anyone feels strongly on Hollywood Studios vs. Animal Kingdom just review and say so. Will also have a Sue villain song next chapter from a less well known Disney movie so anyone who has any guesses can also hit up the reviews. And if you want to review just for the sake of it, that is also greatly appreciated as reviews fuel my motivation.**

**From last chapter's reviews and song guessing we had**

'**One Jump Ahead' guessed correctly by- **_Jacketweather_

'**Heaven's Light' guessed correctly by- **No correct guesses


	15. Hollywood Scares & Fangirls

**Title:** Real Magic- Chapter 14

**A/N: Yay! Hit 200+ favorites, so thank you everyone who is enjoying this story and I hope you continue to enjoy as we go forward.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, the Walt Disney Company, or anything that both entail within.**

Rachel woke up and was certain that something was seriously wrong with her. It felt as though her head was going to split in two and that she had swallowed sand. She couldn't even think without it hurting. She couldn't feel Quinn behind her so she opened her eyes to look around the room for her girlfriends. She found that it was a terrible decision, with the light blinding her worse than any spotlight and only adding to her head pain.

Rolling over hurt too and brought her attention to the soreness in her muscles and the turmoil that was ruling her stomach. She couldn't help the groan and whimpering that escaped her throat. She almost immediately felt the edge of the bed dip and Quinn's voice softly whispering, "Rach? Are you okay?"

She had to work through her dry throat to scratch out, "It hurts."

"I know Rach, it's a hangover. I brought you some water and Tylenol and it should help take away some of the pain."

Rachel opened her eyes as little as possible and could see the outline of her girlfriend through her eyelashes. She reached out and took the items and quickly took a drink of water. "Thanks." Now that her throat wasn't so dry she swallowed the pills and the rest of the water.

"Better?"

The water helped her throat and she had acclimated somewhat to the awful feelings, but she wouldn't say she was good. "A bit, but this is the worst I can remember feeling in a really long time."

She could feel Quinn brush the hair out of her face and stroke her cheek softly, "It's your first hangover; I didn't expect anything else."

Rachel certainly hadn't, "Why would anyone drink if they knew they'd feel like this?"

"You tend to try and forget about this part after it happens." Rachel could see why and relayed her feelings to Quinn. "It wont last forever, but you have to power through it to get to breakfast on time."

Rachel couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Wait, what?"

"Rach you can't just lie here all day, Mr. Schue expects us in 20 and a shower and some food should help."

Rachel didn't want to but she nodded and sat up, which only exacerbated her discomfort. With Quinn's help she made it into the shower and allowed the hot water to run over her, allowing some of the soreness to seep out of her muscles. When she got out and dressed she was beginning to feel better and was now looking forward to the new day.

She still had a headache as she came out of their room to meet Quinn, but she was otherwise back to normal and greeted her girlfriend with an enthusiastic kiss. "Now that I'm awake I would like to wish you a very good morning."

Quinn gave her a small smile, "Oh, it's a good day now, huh?"

Rachel nodded, "Yes Quinn, it is, because I get to spend the entire day with you doing whatever we want, without having to hide our relationship from Finn."

"Well when you put it like that I can't help but agree."

They walked down together, making their way to Cape May Café for another breakfast at the easily available restaurant. Mr. Schue greeted them outside, "Hey girls, everyone else is already eating, so hurry up and we can get going."

Rachel and Quinn entered and grabbed some fruit and bacon respectively, before walking over to a table where Santana and Brittany were eating. "Hi, Q! Hi, Rachel!"

Rachel said hello back, but was shocked by how unaffected Brittany looked when the girl had drank _far_ more than she had. Looking at Santana Rachel saw that she was slumped over, clutching her head with one hand and nursing an orange juice while her food looked untouched.

Sensing her confusion Quinn, with a hint of jealousy, said, "Brit doesn't get hangovers, no matter how much she drinks. It's kind of unfair."

Rachel felt herself grow somewhat jealous as the blonde nodded enthusiastically. "Well, I suppose that must be useful."

"Yeah, it totally helps when we party on school nights."

Rachel turned to Quinn, who immediately put her hands up defensively, "I don't do it."

Santana finally got involved in the conversation, "Yeah, goody two shoes over here doesn't do anything that might hurt her grades."

"Well I find her dedication to school very admirable Santana"

Rachel shared a smile with Quinn before they both focused on their food. Everyone else was already almost finished so they rushed until Mr. Schuester came over to address them. "Alright guys, if everyone is done eating then I think we can get ready to go. Today we will be going to the Hollywood Stud—"

"Yes!" Rachel realized that she had jumped out of her chair shouting and that everyone was looking at her. She felt like dying of embarrassment, but regained her composure and said, "I'm sorry Mr. Schuester, please continue."

She sat down still mortified, but Quinn grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze that calmed her down. "Uh, as I was saying we're going to go to the Hollywood Studios Park today, so if you want to head out to the back where they have a ferry boat to the park and we'll and go."

Rachel once again let her excitement control her actions as she shot up before everyone else and began to pull Quinn with her. "Come on Quinn, this is a very exciting day and we must hurry!"

"Rach, we have to wait for everyone else anyway, so why are we rushing now?"

"Oh." Rachel realized that Quinn was right and slowed down, "Yes, you are correct."

Quinn smiled at her and said, "I know you're excited, so we can run around all you want when we get there."

"You don't mind that I'll probably be acting crazy?"

"Of course not, I love how you act all of the time Rachel, not just the times when you are easy to deal with."

Rachel couldn't help but fall a little more in love with the blonde.

* * *

Sue had spent almost all night coming up with her plan, but she was confident that it would deliver the results she wanted. Now she had to take care of the tiny details and round up her Cheerios to put the plan in action.

Her scheming was interrupted by the door to her room opening and Becky walking in, "Talk to me."

"Mr. Schuester said they are going to Hollywood Studios, Coach."

Sue loved how things worked out for the best. "Excellent work Becky. Now go gather the rest of the Cheerios and tell them it's time for them to learn their part in my plan."

"Yes Coach!"

She watched Becky head out and thought about her new information. Hollywood Studios was smaller than Animal Kingdom and would allow for her Cheerios to enact their part of the plan easier than if they had to scour the larger park for one person. It wasn't long before her minions began to enter in to her room and look to her for her infallible guidance.

Finally one of the braver souls found the guts to speak and ask her, "Coach, what are we doing here? All we know is that you have a plan to stop Q from dating that disgusting creature that has somehow got its claws into her and that it will destroy the glee club."

'_My girls, we are about to embark on the most odious, the most evil, the most diabolical scheme of my illustrious career. A crime to top all crimes, a crime that will live in infamy'_

'_**What is it?'**_

'_Today our beloved Captain celebrates her new relationship. And, with the enthusiastic help of my good friend Mr. Fabray, it promises to be the last night of them and the glee club. Their last, and my first, as supreme ruler of all McKinley!'_

_From the brain that brought you the Sue's Kids caper_

_The head that makes headlines in every newspaper_

_And wondrous things like the Slushying mob_

_That cunning display that made McKinley sob_

_Now comes the real tour de force_

_Tricky and wicked, of course_

_My earlier crimes were fine for their times_

_But now that I'm at it again_

_An even grimmer plot has been simmering_

_In my great criminal brain_

Sue looked around at the looks of awe that she inspired in the faces of her girls and she knew that they would do anything for her. With their help there was no way that they wouldn't succeed.

_**Even meaner? You mean it?**_

_**Worse than the widows and orphans you drowned?**_

_**You're the best of the worst around**_

_**Coach Sylvester**_

_**Coach Sylvester**_

_**The rest fall behind**_

_**Coach Sylvester**_

_**Coach Sylvester**_

_**The world's greatest criminal mind**_

'_Thank you, thank you. But it hasn't all been champagne and caviar. I've had my share of adversity, thanks to that miserable second-rate glee coach, William Schuester. For years, that insufferable pipsqueak has interfered with my plans. I haven't had a moment's peace of mind. But, all that's in the past! This time nothing, not even William, can stand in my way! All will bow before me!_

_**Coach Sylvester**_

_**Coach Sylvester**_

_**You're tops and that's that**_

_**Coach Sylvester**_

_**Coach Sylvester**_

_**To Sylvester the world's greatest rat**_

"Thank you girls, that was touching. Now do it again!"

_**Even louder!**_

_**We'll shout it!**_

_**No one can doubt what we know you can do**_

_**You're more evil than even you**_

_**Coach Sylvester**_

_**Coach Sylvester**_

_**You're one of a kind**_

_**Coach Sylvester**_

_**Coach Sylvester**_

_**The world's greatest criminal mind!**_

Sue soaked up the admiration that her Cheerios gave her as she stood before them, before she decided that it was time to focus on her plan.

"Now that you are all prepared, we have work to do. We are going to follow the glee club to Hollywood Studios, where you will do your part in undoing Q's abomination of a relationship."

"_How_ are we going to do that Coach?"

"I'm glad you asked."

* * *

Sitting in the boat on the way to Hollywood Studios, Quinn was watching her girlfriend bounce up and down in her seat in excitement. Rachel's mood was radiating off of her and was increasing Quinn's own anticipation for their day.

"I can't decide what we should do first! There are so many different attractions that could provide useful information for when I am a star, that I don't even know where to begin."

Quinn didn't really remember much of what was in the park, so she settled on neutral advice, "Rach, if we're going to be running around to get to _everything_ we can, then does it really matter _where_ we start?"

Quinn smiled as she rendered Rachel speechless for a moment. Her girlfriend finally answered, "I suppose you have a point Quinn, but we should at least try to make an outline of a plan before we arrive in several minutes."

She should have known that Rachel, the girl obsessed with power points, wouldn't proceed without some plan, but she was saved from her efforts by Santana, "Berry, do they have any roller coasters there?"

"Yes Santana, they have a ride called 'Rock 'n' Roller Coaster' located directly next to the large hotel that is 'The Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror'." She pointed out toward the front of the boat, where a large run down tower hotel could be seen rising high above the trees, "Why?"

"Because that's where we're going first."

Rachel started sputtering in indignation, "W…What do you mean we! Who said that we are even going to stay together?"

Santana smirked, "I do, 'cause I wants to see how scared you get and I'm telling you we are."

"And if I say no?"

"Then you'll make Brittany cry."

Quinn looked over to see her friend start to turn on the fake waterworks and immediately watched as Rachel's resolve crumbled, "Fine, we will do those rides with you, but then I demand that you allow Quinn and myself to proceed to wherever we want."

"Deal."

It was obvious to Quinn that Rachel had been set up, but she was fine the plan since she did enjoy roller coasters and she didn't know what else Rachel might have planned for the day. Not wanting her girlfriend to be upset, Quinn whispered, "Don't worry, we'll ditch them as soon as possible."

Rachel gave her an appreciative smile as the boat pulled into the dock where it was tied off and came to a stop. Quinn followed after Rachel as she hurried off the boat and they headed towards the gates with the rest of the group. They passed through admission and found themselves in a courtyard that exited onto a street that led to a giant Sorcerer Mickey's hat. However she noticed that Rachel was focused directly in front of them, her eyes lit up looking at the tower directly in front of them.

Quinn didn't understand, so she asked, "So what's the deal with the tower?"

Rachel looked offended as she answered, "Quinn, this a recreation of the iconic Crossroads of the World on Sunset Boulevard."

Quinn now understood why Rachel would, but, "Why do you know that?"

"I need to know everything I can when I become famous so I don't commit any faux pas and embarrass myself."

"This is from California. You plan on going to _New York_."

Rachel huffed, "That is only step one Quinn. My time in Hollywood is further down the line, but is definitely an important part of my plans. You will need to learn these things."

Quinn felt her heart soar, but she wasn't sure Rachel even noticed what she said, "So, I need to learn about plans for the future, huh?"

Rachel's eyes widened in shocking realization, but Mr. Schuester saved her, "Okay everyone, you're all free to do whatever you want until dinner, which will be at the 50's Prime Time Café at 5 o'clock."

Rachel started laughing despite attempts to muffle it with her hand. Quinn had no idea what was so funny and asked Rachel, to which her girlfriend gave a significant look at Santana and said, "You'll see when we get there."

She only paid attention again to hear Mr. Schue finish with, "So get going, have fun, and I'll see you later."

Rachel didn't waste any time taking her arm and power walking up the street. She turned her head and yelled, "You two better keep up!"

Looking back she saw Santana and Brittany following after them. She shot Santana a smirk and mouthed, '_Your Fault'_ at the less than pleased looking Latina. Before they got to the giant hat, another street intersected to their right and Rachel led them onto it immediately.

The other two caught up and Santana bitched, "Do we have to move this fast Berry?"

"You caused this, you get no right to complain!"

Quinn laughed as they continued down towards the highly visible tower at the end of the palm tree lined street. When they reached the end Quinn could see the entrances sitting on opposite sides of the street, so she asked, "Which first?"

Immediately Rachel answered, "Rock 'n' Roller Coaster!"

Quinn could see that the force that Rachel had answered with shocked Santana and Brittany, and while she was confused too she shrugged and said, "Alright, but we should grab some fastpasses for Tower of Terror after."

"We'll go grab them," Santana volunteered, and she and Brittany took their tickets and walked to the kiosks, which were right in front of them, at the very end of the street.

As they stood waiting Quinn heard, "Hey, what's the rush pretty ladies?"

Turning back towards the street Quinn saw Puck and the rest of the club had followed them down the street. Quinn frowned, as she didn't want to spend the whole day with everyone again. Before she could say anything Rachel was already speaking, "We have things to accomplish Noah and we are not going to slow down for anything."

From behind her Quinn heard Santana and Brittany approaching, "The hell are you all doing? Following us?"

"We're going where we want to Santana and you can't stop us."

It was the first that Quinn had heard from Finn since the day before and just hearing his voice caused an overwhelming sense of anger to fill her. It was only Rachel's hand squeezing her arm that prevented her from moving to slap him, and she could tell that Brittany's arm around Santana's waist was doing the same. Rachel finally said, "Let's just get this over with," and Quinn nodded, before moving towards the entrance.

They had to pass beneath an arch that had an upside down car riding along a giant guitar. They followed the guitar above them to the large building and the entrance at the back corner. The line wound through the back and up around the front of the building until they finally got inside. The inside looked like the lobby of a recording studio and Quinn could see that Rachel was filled with joy.

The smaller girl was practically bouncing looking at the posters advertising different musical acts owned by Disney. "Rach, it's not a real recording studio."

"I know Quinn, but it's the closest I have gotten so far in my life and I can't help myself."

The signs were all marked with G Force Records as they made their way through the lobby, passed various old pieces of recording equipment and were finally located in a waiting area outside of a door that had a flashing 'Recording' sign outside.

The door opened allowing them to enter into the 'studio' where they could see Aerosmith in the back behind a glass wall. There was a small pre-show in which Steven Tyler offered all of them 'backstage passes' to a concert and had their 'manager' get them a limo to drive them there.

When the show was over doors on the opposite side of the room opened and they exited into a fake back alley where the loading area was located. Almost immediately a ride car in the shape of a limousine pulled up in front of them and stopped at a stoplight. It waited for a few seconds before the light turned green and the car was launched into a tunnel.

Quinn could tell that the group was growing excited, as they got closer to the front and saw the insane speed at which the cars launched into the ride. She stayed next to Rachel as they moved through the line and asked her, "So you ready for this?"

"Yes Quinn, I am very excited to experience this ride and its allegedly intense experience."

She knew she shouldn't have expected anything less, but she still found the overly complicated answer endearing. "Good, because I am too."

After making sure that she was in the same row as Rachel, Quinn boarded after her extremely short girlfriend. She couldn't help but laugh as the overhead harness completely surrounded Rachel, to the point where it was extremely difficult to see her at all. After they were all set, the car pulled around the corner and stopped at the red light before the tunnel.

Quinn looked up at the flashing sign above them that showed different messages counting down. _Drive safely… All lanes open so floor it!... Freeway straight ahead… Face forward… Keep your head back… Prepare to merge like you've never merged before…_

Suddenly the stoplight turned green and their limo launched into the tunnel with lights flashing in their eyes. Quinn could hear Rachel shouting next to her and she couldn't help but join her. They exited the tunnel onto a neon highway before immediately hitting an inversion and having heavy g-forces hold them in place as they went upside down. They sped by neon spotlights, the Hollywood sign, street signs and even through a giant donut as Aerosmith blasted in their ears.

Although it was intense, the ride ended fairly quickly, dropping them off 'backstage'. Quinn climbed out first and helped Rachel afterwards. Almost directly in front of them was a group of monitors, where they had pictures of the previous rides and they all hurried to look.

"Wow Finnept, nice look."

Quinn looked at the boy in the picture and couldn't help but laugh at the look of genuine fright on his face. She looked at herself and Rachel and felt proud at how awesome her girlfriend looked, with her arms in the air, shouting in joy. "Nice one, Rach."

Rachel blushed as she said, "Thank you Quinn. Although it is not an ideal pose, it does make me seem far more free spirited and fun."

"You're fun as you are know, Rach."

Her girlfriend beamed and gave her a quick kiss. They had barely broken apart when Santana yelled, "Hey, we gots a ride to get to."

Rachel seemed to suddenly realize that they had been standing still for several minutes and jumped into action, "Yes we do! Come on Quinn!"

She could only smile as her girlfriend hurried them after their friends and out of the building.

* * *

Rachel had greatly enjoyed the ride they had just left and felt that even as fake as the 'recording studio' was, it would still provide her with some good experience for later on in her career. However she wanted to get to attractions that she knew were highly specialized in the behind the scenes work of show business, and that there were also several stage shows. Because of this she wanted to get their ride on Tower of Terror over with as soon as possible, and that was all she could focus on as they walked out of the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster plaza.

"Hey, wait up!"

Rachel turned to see that Finn was leading the others in pursuit of them as they crossed over the end of the street "If you want to follow us, then you need to keep up!"

It was a short walk around to the bottom of the tower where the entrance was, and when they got there Santana gave them their passes. They were about to enter the fastpass entrance, when Finn spoke up again, "Hey, where do you get those?"

Smirking, Santana answered, "We picked them up earlier, so it sucks for y'all but we're out."

The four entered the fastpass line while the others started on the much longer stand-by line. "Santana, as much as you dislike Finn, you didn't have to mock about to enter the fastpass entrance, when Finn spoke up again, "Hey, where do you get those?"

Smirking, Santana answered, "We picked them up earlier, so it sucks for y'all but we're out."

The four entered the fastpass line while the others started on the much longer stand-by line. "Santana, as much as you dislike Finn, you didn't have to mock _everyone_."

"Yes I did, that's what I _do_."

Figuring it was probably meaningless to argue, Rachel held onto Quinn as they followed Santana and Brittany. As soon as they entered the line though Rachel began to feel a sense of foreboding. They were walking through the outer grounds, where the plants were overgrown and everything looked in disrepair. It didn't help that every few seconds Rachel could hear those already on the ride screaming from above. When they got close to the bottom of the tower they passed an empty, cracked fountain, before they looped around to the side and the entrance to the building.

Rachel shivered as they walked into the dark lobby. The creepy music in the background made it so much worse, as she looked at the dust and cobweb covered furniture. Quinn must have noticed since she asked, "Are you okay Rach?"

Not wanting to seem weak, Rachel lied, "Of course, Quinn, I am just a little cold."

It wasn't a total lie, the room was quite cold, but even with Quinn there she was still feeling more and more nervous. They were ushered through the lobby and into an old looking library. They were crammed in, so Rachel took the opportunity to squeeze as close as she could to Quinn's side. Looking around, Rachel felt bad to see that Brittany was in a very similar situation as she was, clinging to Santana.

It didn't get better when the lights cut out sending them into total darkness. It didn't last long though, before a TV in the corner turned on and began to play the intro to The Twilight Zone.

_You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension: a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You're moving into a land of shadow and substance of things and ideas. You have just crossed over into…the Twilight Zone._

Rachel should have expected this given the name, but she hadn't put too much thought into it. She had never liked when her Dad had watched reruns of the show and it had always given her nightmares.

The image cut to the hotel, as the narration continued,

_Hollywood: 1939. Amid the glitz and glitter of a bustling movie town at the height of its age, the Hollywood Tower Hotel was a star in its own right. A beacon for the show business elite. Now something is about to happen that will change all that._

Rachel watched as five people on the video entered into the hotel's elevator, before a lightning strike hit the tower and both the elevator and its passengers vanished. Returning to the lobby, the narrator appeared in front of an elevator door and began to monologue.

_The time is now, on an evening very much like the one we have just witnessed. Tonight's story of the Twilight Zone is somewhat unique and calls for a different kind of introduction. This, as you may recognize, is a maintenance service elevator, still in operation, waiting for you. We invite you if you dare to step aboard, because in tonight's episode, you are the star, as this elevator travels directly to…The Twilight Zone._

A back door opened and they shuffled out into a creepy boiler room. By this point Rachel was beginning to get terrified and could hardly bring herself to lift her head out of Quinn's side. "Rach, you're definitely not okay. Just say the word and we'll be out of here."

As bad as it was, Rachel knew she would never hear the end of it if they left. "No, Quinn, I want to do this."

Quinn looked at her skeptically, but nodded and they continued until they reached the elevator door. A 'bellhop' directed the four of them into a row of four and Rachel looked up at a seating plan of the elevator to see that they were going to be in the front row.

The doors opened and they entered the car, took their seats and strapped in. Rachel barely had time to try and get accustomed to the very open car they were in, the lights went out and the elevator began to ascend.

"_You are the passengers of the most uncommon elevator about to ascend…into your very own episode of…The Twilight Zone."_

Rachel grabbed onto Quinn's hand next to her and began to squeeze for dear life. The door opened onto a long hallway, where the electrified ghosts of the passengers of the preshow were beckoning them to join them. Rachel was beginning to panic and she wished she had taken Quinn's out when she had the chance. The hallway vanished and turned into a star field, but the window from the end of the hallway remained, floating towards them, before it shattered.

The doors closed again leaving them in darkness and Quinn quickly asked her, "Rach, are you alright?"

She could barely bring herself to do anything, but she answered, "Just don't let go."

_One stormy night long ago, five people stepped through the door of an elevator and into a nightmare. That door is opening once again and this time…it's opening for you._

With a ding the door opened again, but this time the car moved out of the elevator shaft and forward into the building. It passed through another star field, but this time it was filled with odd Twilight Zone objects. They moved towards a rapidly disappearing cluster of stars, before they were once again in total darkness.

_You are about to discover what lies beyond the fifth dimension…beyond the deepest darkest corners of the imagination…in the Tower of Terror!_

Without warning the car dropped and Rachel started screaming for her life. The car then shot up to the top of the tower and the doors opened, allowing them to see out over the entire property, but it only made it worse for Rachel. The car continued to rise and drop at random intervals and Rachel couldn't take it anymore. She could feel tears start to fall down her cheeks, when the ride finally stopped at the bottom and backed up towards a stop.

_A warm welcome back to those who've made it, and a friendly word of warning, something that you won't find in any guidebook. The next time you check into the deserted hotel on the dark side of Hollywood, make sure you know just what kind of vacancy you're filling, or you may find yourself a permanent resident…of the Twilight Zone._

The doors opened and Rachel was jumping out of her seat as fast as she could without regard for anything else. Beside her Quinn gasped, "Oh god, Rach, are you okay? Come here."

Rachel found herself wrapped up in Quinn's strong arms as she sobbed into the blonde's chest. She thought it had been bad on the Haunted Mansion, but now was so much worse. Quinn did help her shuffle off of the car and into a small hallway where they had monitors to see pictures taken from the ride. She didn't want to see how scared she looked.

It took a few minutes, but eventually she was able to calm down and separate from Quinn. Her girlfriend was looking down at her in concern and she tried to discreetly dry her eyes. "Rach?"

Rachel looked up and tried to put on a brave smile, but knew she was failing. "I'm okay Quinn, let's just go please."

Quinn nodded, before wrapping her arm around Rachel's shoulder and leading her through a gift shop, to the outside. They didn't waste time and walked around and away from the building as quickly as they could. Rachel could still hear the screams and she felt herself shiver again.

They were hurrying down the street towards the center of the park so quickly that it took most of the way for Rachel to realize that they were completely alone. "Where did Santana and Brittany go?"

She was somewhat surprised by the worried look on Quinn's face, "B didn't take the ride very well either, so Santana took her somewhere to try and cheer her up."

"Oh." Rachel felt some worry for her new blonde friend as well, but she was still dealing with her own problem to focus too hard on it.

"Yeah, and I plan on doing the same for you, so come on."

Rachel didn't know how Quinn planned to do that or where they were going and said as much to Quinn.

"You'll see, but I know you'll love it."

"I thought you didn't remember most of what was here from your childhood?"

Quinn laughed, "I don't, but this one was so obvious that I know it will bring your spirits back up."

Trusting in her girlfriend, Rachel allowed Quinn to bring them back to the very middle of the park, right in front of the giant hat. "Which way now Quinn?"

Quinn just smiled and led her through the hat to the front of the building behind it and Rachel knew exactly what Quinn meant.

She couldn't help but feel elated both at Quinn's thoughtfulness and at the sight before her. Looking at the full-scale replica of Hollywood's legendary Graumann's Chinese Theater, made Rachel imagine when she would be a part of the show business world.

Laughing she pulled Quinn after her as she ran over to the front of the theater. Entering into the theater's plaza she stopped and turned back to her girlfriend, "This is perfect!" She threw her arms around Quinn's neck and kissed her, not caring who was around to see. When she backed away she noticed the ground, "Look! They even have handprints in concrete!"

Rachel couldn't help but get lost in her own little world as she ran around looking at the different celebrities who had 'signed' the ground. She wouldn't have stopped if it weren't for Quinn, "Rach, this is just the outside, I meant for us to actually go on the ride."

She blushed a little, but ran back to her waiting girlfriend, "Yes, you're right Quinn, let's proceed."

Grabbing onto each other's hand, they entered the front door into a small opening queue area that got Rachel excited all over again. "Look Quinn, it's a merry-go-round horse from Mary Poppins!"

Quinn chuckled as she pulled her on, "Is there anything from a musical that you wouldn't recognize?"

Offended, Rachel answered, "I would certainly hope not! You never know when that knowledge could be necessary."

"If you say so."

They moved on, into a large open theater room with a winding queue. Rachel watched the screen, ecstatic to see previews of classic musicals like Footlight Parade, Singin' in the Rain and Mary Poppins, as well as other classics Casablanca, Fantasia, The Searchers, Alien and Raiders of the Lost Ark. She thought she noticed a change in Quinn during the last one, but didn't have time to dwell as they reached the end of the queue and were ready to board their very large ride vehicle.

After being seated in one of the front rows, Rachel could hardly contain her excitement and was bouncing in her seat, until Quinn wrapped an arm around her and held her still. It didn't take long for their tour guide to enter the vehicle and get them moving.

"Hello everyone and welcome to the Great Movie Ride. My name is Mary and I'll be taking you from this Hollywood soundstage right into the middle of the action of the greatest films ever made, all on one tour. But between you and me, this is no ordinary tour because the Great Movie Ride brings these movies to life, and puts you right in the middle of the action."

Rachel lost the narration for a moment as she was so giddy passing through the first few scenes from Footlight Parade, Singin' in the Rain and Mary Poppins. It wasn't until they entered into a dark alley that she focused on their guide again.

"Hold on to those wallets and purses folks. This doesn't look like a very good neighborhood. In fact, it looks a lot like the Underworld. The scene of such classic gangster films like the Public Enemy. Starring one of my favorite tough guys, James Cagney."

Rachel squeezed in tighter to Quinn's side. "You okay?"

"Yes, but I'm not fond of gangster films and the violence they portray."

They pulled up to a red light, and their tour guide stopped, not wanting to run the light. They were then carjacked by a gangster in the middle of a shoot out. Although the acting wasn't great, Rachel enjoyed the fun atmosphere that the story was telling.

The gangster, Mugsy, shot out the red light and drove them into the next scene, a composite of the wild west. "Sleepy little boig, ain't it? All right, now that we're in the clear, it's the perfect time for me to collect up all your value-ables. We'll start with the jew—"

"There he is! It's the bank robber! Don't let him get away!"

After getting stuck in the middle of another gun fight, the vehicle continued on. Although she wasn't fond of westerns, the story was so amusing that she was beginning to let her guard down.

However they entered a dark, loud spaceship and Rachel began to worry. The gangster asked what was going on and a disembodied voice came answered.

_This is "Alien". You are with Sigourney Weaver aboard the spaceship Nostromo. Something has gone wrong. One by one, the crew has vanished, and somewhere in the ship, a terrifying creature waits to claim its next victim._

Rachel was starting to hyperventilate as they slowly passed through the dark ship and the scared figure of Sigourney Weaver looking around wildly. A different voice interrupted the wild sirens.

_Danger. The emergency destruct system is now activated. The ship will detonate in 10 minutes. The option to override the system will expire in T-Minus 5 minutes._

Without much warning a giant alien appeared overhead, lunging down towards them. Rachel flipped out and buried her face into Quinn's shoulder, feeling the tears start to return. She didn't want to move but Quinn began to shake her lightly, "Rach, it's over, come on. We're in a different movie now."

Looking up, Rachel saw that they were indeed inside of what looked like an Egyptian pyramid. She noticed that Quinn was humming along to the music with a gleam in her eye as the voice overhead told them they were in Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Rachel calmed down far easier than earlier, since it was just a jump scare, and now she was focused on what was happening with their gangster driver. They were next to a large pyramid with a giant ruby at the top.

_The dust of three thousand years lies undisturbed in this ancient burial chamber. And on the chest of the great stone god, a priceless jewel!_

"Wow! Get a load o' dat chunk of ice! Time for me to get back to woik. Don't none of yas move while I get the goods. I don't think they'd notice a few extra bodies around here, if ya know what I mean. Heheheh."

The gangster hopped out of the car and began up the pyramid.

_But the jewel is guarded by a curse! And those who dare defy that curse...must pay with their lives._

At the top of the pyramid a temple guardian, who was turned away from them, held out their hand. "Halt, unbeliever! Disturb the treasure of the gods, and you shall all pay with your lives."

The gangster didn't listen and touched the jewel. Suddenly he was shrouded in smoke and when it dispersed only a skeleton was left. The guardian took of their hood to reveal their tour guide, which got a round of applause.

They passed through brief scenes from the old Hollywood horror movies and Tarzan, but then arrived at one that got Rachel into everything again.

Passing by the final scene of Casablanca, Rachel gave Quinn a quick kiss on the cheek as Humphrey Bogart dropped the classic, "Here's looking at you kid."

They quickly passed through the most famous scene from Fantasia with Sorcerer Mickey, but it was what came next that Rachel thought might have been the greatest thing she had ever seen.

It was a full sized recreation of Munchkinland from the Wizard of Oz, with Dorothy's house on top of the crushed Wicked Witch of the East. When a bunch of munchkins popped out and started singing 'Ding Dong the Witch is Dead' and 'We Welcome You to Munchkinland', Rachel couldn't help but start to sing along without a care in the world to how ridiculous she might look.

The singing stopped with a puff of red smoke and the Wicked Witch of the West appeared, "Who killed my sister? Who killed the Witch of the East? Was it you?"

Their tour guide responded, "No, I didn't kill anyone. It was an accident."

"Well. My pretty, I can cause accidents, too!"

"Oh rubbish, you have no power here. Be gone before someone drops a house on you, too."

"Very well. I'll bide my time. But just try and stay out of my way. Just try! I'll get you, my pretty. And your little dog, too!"

The witch disappeared in smoke and their guide asked how they would leave, leading to a rousing rendition of 'Follow the Yellow Brick Road' that Rachel enthusiastically joined in on. They passed figures of Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion and Toto when they first could see the Emerald City across the poppy field.

They pulled into a large dark room and their guide said, "I hope you've enjoy this tour through some of the greatest moments at the movies. But we've only scratched the surface of what Hollywood has to offer. There are still thousands of other great movies out there waiting for you to discover and here a just a few of my favorites."

They sat and watched as a film consisting of clips from hundreds of movies played. Rachel was having so much fun looking for movies she could recognize and squealed in delight as Funny Girl showed up with Barbra saying, 'Hello, gorgeous." When the film ended they returned to the loading area and were let out of the vehicles.

Rachel was on such a high from the ride that she practically skipped out of building, "Quinn, that was a wonderful choice! That was such a moving tribute! Did you see Barbra? She was wonderful as always, of course."

"I'm glad you liked it. And no I didn't notice Barbra, because I've never really watched any of her movies."

"What! Quinn this is a travesty! We must rectify this immediately!"

Quinn just smiled, "I'm sure you'll make sure I've seen all of them more than enough times at some point, but right now we need to continue through the park."

Rachel realized that there wasn't really any way to have Quinn watch Funny Girl or anything else at the moment. "I suppose you are right, but you are not off the hook!" She wished she could stop the smirk that her girlfriend was giving her, but she knew it would be futile effort. "So where should we go next?"

Surprisingly the question got rid of the smirk and left Quinn looking slightly nervous, "I know that you have things you want to get to and that we are tight on time, but I was wondering if we could go see the Indiana Jones show?"

Rachel found nervous Quinn to be irresistibly cute, and now understood the small signs from the previous ride when Indiana Jones showed up in the queue and the ride. "Quinn, are you a closet Indiana Jones fan?"

"I had to hide it growing up since my dad wouldn't approve, but… yeah, I love the movies."

Giving her a smile, Rachel said, "Well, I had planned to see the show anyway, but even if I had not, I would have rescheduled other things to go with you. You should get to do what you want too."

Quinn's nervousness vanished and she smiled at her, "Thanks Rach."

"You don't have to thank me, but we should get going."

The blonde now looked really excited and grabbed her hand, "Well let's go then!"

* * *

Quinn was incredibly excited as they walked away from the Chinese Theater and towards the small lake and boat that were on the opposite side of the park as they had gone earlier. She had been hoping that they would get to this show, and was glad that Rachel wanted to go too.

She was now the one rushing ahead, when Rachel was usually in that position, but she couldn't help how excited she was. They passed around the lake and laughed at the cartoonish dinosaur that stood on the far side. Right passed the dinosaur was the entrance to the show and Quinn knew that her inner fangirl was starting to come out.

Walking into the open-air theater, Quinn loved that the set was obviously the opening scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark. They found some seats and sat to wait for the show to begin. She was stunned when Rachel said, "You know, this is another movie that one of us loves that the other hasn't seen."

"You've never seen an Indiana Jones movie?"

"No, Quinn, it has never been my cup of tea, despite my daddies insistence that I watch them."

"Well they right to insist on it." Quinn was suddenly confused, "Wait, if you've never seen them then why did you want to see the show?"

"Quinn, it is a show that demonstrates how stunts are performed in movies, which could be very useful if I am ever involved in a major action movie."

Quinn shook her head in disbelief. She should have expected it, but it still was surprising to see how Rachel could relate anything to preparing for her future. She did want to have a little fun with her girlfriend, so she joked, "If you get cast in an action movie, it will be as the helpless love interest being saved by the hero."

She started laughing almost immediately when Rachel began to sputter in indignation. Her laughter caused Rachel to smack her in the arm, "That is not funny Quinn. I could certainly be an action hero!"

"Okay, Rach."

They sat through a short preshow, where several audience members were selected to be extras in the show. Despite Rachel's best efforts to be selected, she was passed over and sat slightly dejected waiting for the show to start.

It was a slightly long wait for anything to happen, but suddenly 'Indiana Jones' fell in from the ceiling, before starting to make his way through a series of spike traps. After avoiding the spikes, he made his way past giant ax swinging monkeys and up to the golden idol. Pulling out a bag of sand, he switched the two on the pedestal and admired his handiwork, until a giant boulder rolled out from behind him and chased him down. He fell, the boulder passing over him, when someone yelled, "Cut!"

The crew came out as everyone applauded for the actor who had gotten back up. The director and actor went over how they had set up the stunt while the rest of the crew set up for the next scene. They brought the extras back out and set them up as a crowd of onlookers for a marketplace.

The second scene was a chase through the market place, with the Nazis chasing Indy and Marion. They had fights and stunts climbing up and falling from buildings. The scene culminated with Marion being taken away in a truck, before it exploded.

Quinn loved how they were portraying the best scenes from the movie and how well they were able to portray the stunts. She could see that Rachel was paying more attention to the explanations of how the stunts were performed between scenes. It made Quinn happy that they were both able to enjoy the show, even if it was for different reasons.

The then performed a final scene with Indy and Marion fighting with Nazis at the air strip. This had Indy's big fight with the giant German mechanic who was killed by the plane propeller. It ended with the plane going up in a giant explosion as Indy and Marion escaped.

Quinn stood and cheered as the performers took a bow. She couldn't stop grinning as she walked out of the theater with Rachel. "Well, that was very informative."

Quinn couldn't help but laugh, "Yeah, I guess, but I focused more on the fun and the action, than the explanations."

"I suppose that it was rather fun. Do you want to get lunch? I am becoming rather hungry, but we could wait a while if you wish."

Quinn hadn't really thought of it before, but now that Rachel mentioned it she was getting hungry. "Sure, I could eat."

They walked left out of the exit and almost immediately saw an old water tower and warehouse that had signs saying Backlot Express Restaurant on them. "You want to check it out?"

"Sure."

They walked into the warehouse and looked over the menu. Quinn knew she would be fine, but she turned to Rachel, "Can you eat here?"

"Yes, I should be fine if I order the Grilled Vegetable Sandwich without the cheese."

Quinn nodded and they got on line, where Quinn ordered Rachel's sandwich and got herself the Angus Onion Straw Burger. They sat and ate, enjoying the time alone and the fact that they could relax together for a minute.

Everything was good until Rachel left to go find a bathroom and Quinn sat waiting for her. She was generally just letting her mind wander until she heard familiar voices nearby. Looking around she saw some of the younger Cheerios eating lettuce and talking. She couldn't help but listen in and was shocked by what she heard.

"Yeah, my parents were talking to Mrs. Fabray after church last weekend and she was talking about how happy she was that Quinn had started following good Christian values again."

"I'm still surprised that she would take Quinn back after her disgrace last year."

"I guess, but once she got rid of the bastard child she must have wanted to try and guide Quinn back to her faith."

"Well, whatever she did it certainly worked. I guess she's just happy she didn't have to send Quinn away like she had planned to when she moved back home."

"If she falls of the wagon she still might."

"Quinn couldn't possibly be dumb enough to do something like that now. She has to know that at the first sign that she has lost herself again Judy plans to send her away."

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

She watched them walk away and was too stunned to do anything. All she could think of was whether it could possibly be true. She thought that her relationship with her mother had taken a turn for the better, but if what she heard was true then they hadn't gotten anywhere. She didn't know how true it was and if it was even possible. She _had_ acted like her previous self ever since she gave up Beth, but she didn't know if that was the only reason her mother had been happy to have her home.

Seeing Rachel walking back towards her she felt her stomach churn. If what they said was true, her relationship with Rachel would threaten everything in her life and get her sent away somewhere. She hoped more than anything that it wasn't true.

"Hey, are you alright?"

"Yeah, Rach, I'm good. Let's get a move on, plenty to get done."

Because if it was, she didn't know what she would do.

* * *

**Alright next chapter done, new park started, but Sue has unleashed her plan. Review and let me know what you think going forward. Probably no songs next chapter, but I've got plenty planned coming up, so I'll let you know next chapter when to expect those. Probably no update until after the 11th of November b/c of school work. I'll try to squeeze another in, but don't expect until that weekend. Remember to review and I'll see ya next time.**


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